Honks
by Volans
Summary: New friends help Harry figure out the power he knows not and what to do about the enemy. Primarily post OOTP with elements from HBP though it does not follow that story. Rated for mature themes and lots of death. HarryTonks.
1. Jake Trapp

**A message from the Author: **This is a Harry centric story featuring a Harry/Tonks pairing. The story really gets started in chapter 3. The first two chapters use past and current events to introduce new characters and provide information which is critical to the story.

I would like to give a special thanks to old-crow for doing some beta work on this story for me. He's corrected many an error and keeps me thinking about where I'm taking the story. Thanks to his efforts this is a much better read. So thanks!

Thank you all for reading and reviewing. I appreciate all of your feedback and comments. I'm glad to see so many of you seem to be enjoying reading it as much as I'm enjoying writing it.

Anyway, enough of this garbage let's get on with the story!  
-Volans

**Disclaimer: Nothings mine, its all Rowling's.

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**Honks**

**Chapter 1 – Jake Trapp**

…Summer after 'Goblet of Fire'

"Waiter!" Jake said with a wave of his hand. He almost laughed out loud as the nervous little man who had been helping him since he came in to eat rushed over, tripping over another patrons chair as he hurried to respond to the summons.

"Yes sir? Is there something I can get for you?"

"I think I'm all set, how about a check?"

"Of course sir, right away!" the waiter said, quickly skittering off to fulfill his request.

Jake's eyes twinkled with mirth at the young mans antics as he watched him practically run away. He wasn't the largest man around coming in at only five foot ten inches tall, but when combined with his muscular build, long dark hair and the numerous tattoos and scars he had accumulated during his years in the American Military he tended to be an imposing figure.

After paying his check and being sure to give the waiter a generous tip for the entertainment he provided, Jake left the small diner and wandered aimlessly through the streets of London, not really caring where he ended up. A few years back he had left the States to do some sight seeing around Europe and had never returned. Though he occasionally cursed the weather, he had fallen in love with England and all her quirks and attitudes and had decided very quickly that this was where he wanted to make his home.

Growing up he had never known what a real home was, well he'd had an idea, but had never had one to call his own. He had been shuffled around from foster home to foster home and even spent some time in an orphanage before he finally grew old enough to take control of his own life at which time he had joined the Navy. After serving in an untold number of skirmishes, he had finally had enough and moved away.

Turning a corner Jake ran into an oddly dressed woman.

"I'm sorry ma'am. Are you ok?" he asked as he extended his hand to help her up.

An odd feeling moved within him as he took in the lady's appearance. He had felt it many times before in many different countries but had never been able to explain or figure it out. It was almost as if he had another sense. It was like seeing, hearing or feeling, though not with his eyes, ears or hands.

The woman took his offered hand warily and allowed him to help her up before thanking him and hurrying off. Jake stood still staring after her for several minutes. The odd feeling had intensified slightly when their hands had touched. Shaking himself out of his reverie, he finally turned and continued on his way.

Jake slowly walked down the street stopping occasionally to browse in the many shops windows, not in a hurry to do anything. Looking up he found a curious sign hanging above the door of a small shabby looking establishment.

"Hmmm," he muttered softly to himself, "The Leaky Cauldron." As he looked at the entrance to the pub, he began to get that same strange feeling he occasionally had. Curious as to what answers this place might hold for him, he stepped towards the door intent on seeing what the story behind the Leaky Cauldron was. He was about to enter when he heard a scream from a nearby alleyway.

Completely forgetting about the pub, Jake ran down the street to the alley, stopping next to the wall just short of the entrance. With a smooth practiced motion, he took a quick look into the alley to assess the situation before returning to his position where he was concealed from view.

'Five individuals. Two in black robes, two in street clothes, one down.' he thought quickly. The next instant he was on the move, sliding silently into the alley and taking up a position behind some large trash bins. Working his way forward, he moved into a position close to the individuals, removing a large knife from within his right boot as he did so.

"Avada Kedavra!" one of the black robed figures cried out.

Jake watched impassively as a green light left the tip of a stick the individual had been holding and slammed into the chest of one of the normally dressed people. He was surprised to see the man fall over, apparently dead.

'Ok,' he thought again, 'light from the sticks, bad.'

"Expelliarmus!" the other robed figure yelled out.

The stick the other normally dressed figure had been holding flew from her hand and she was hurled backward. A groan escaping her lips as she slid down the wall she had hit.

The men in the cloaks laughed as they stepped forward.

"Well, well, it would seem you Aurors aren't so tough after all."

The woman looked up defiantly as she held a large wound on her left shoulder that was bleeding heavily.

"This one still seems to have some fight left in her, what do you think we should do about that?"

The cloaked man laughed ominously as he slowly raised his wand, drawing out the moment to further terrify his victim.

Jake's eyes narrowed as he witnessed the scene. 'No.' he simply thought before leaping into motion.

As he emerged from his hiding place, he could see the surprise in the eyes of the cloaked men even though the cowards were wearing white masks. He raised his arm with a sharp motion as he ran forward, throwing his knife towards the man on the far side who was raising his stick towards the young woman on the ground.

The man let out a yell of pain and dropped his wand as the knife entered his chest, his hands rising to the wound as he fell to his knees.

The other cloaked man's eyes changed from confusion to anger as he realized they were being attacked by this 'muggle' and raising his wand began firing curses at the stranger.

Jake was all business as he continued forward now having to dodge the multi colored lights coming from the man's stick. Narrowly dodging a red beam of light, Jake swung his leg across the front of the man kicking the stick away from his grasp making a quick mental note of its location as it clattered away across the alley. Continuing to spin, he re-planted his foot on the ground and swung around striking his assailant hard in the side of his head with his left elbow and following it up with a hard punch from his right fist.

The cloaked man dropped like a sack of stones and was out cold. Jake stopped in a ready position before the man had even hit the pavement and quickly turned his gaze back to the other man to find him lying on the ground dead, the knife he had thrown still sticking out of his chest.

After making a quick visual sweep of the alley, Jake removed the knife from the dead man's chest, wiping the blood from its blade on the man's cloak as he did so. Replacing the knife in his boot, he slowly made his way over to the young woman.

"Are you alright?" he asked softly as he stepped towards her.

The girl had a wary look in her eye as he approached, but he knew she had witnessed what happened and that she was aware he had helped her.

"Yes mostly. Thanks." she said shakily. "Names Tonks by the way."

Jake smiled kindly and removed the long sleeve shirt he was wearing over his t-shirt. Folding it up, he pulled her hand away from the wound on her left shoulder and held it firmly in place.

"Jake Trapp. We need to get you to a hospital."

He was surprised to see her shaking her head. "No, I just need my wand."

"You're what?"

"My wand." she repeated, "That short stick over there."

Turning to see where she was pointing, Jake saw the stick that had been taken from her during the fight. Placing her hand back on his makeshift bandage to hold it in place, Jake went to retrieve the strange object. He started to hand it to her when he hesitated. He was a little bit nervous about giving it to her considering what he knew of its capabilities and what he didn't know about her and the situation he had just found himself involved in.

"What exactly is this?"

Tonks lowered her extended hand as she saw his hesitance to give her what he no doubt perceived to be a weapon. "It's a magical wand. It allows me to focus and use magical energies."

Looking at the wand he was holding, Jake realized he was experiencing the same odd feelings he had felt time and time again over the years. "Magic is real then is it?"

Tonks nodded.

"Hmm, that explains so much." Jake said mostly to himself though Tonks heard what he said.

"What do you mean?"

Jake turned from the wand to face her. "All my life I've had these strange feelings that come and go. I've never been able to figure out what it was until now. I can feel it when I hold the wand and when I look at you."

Tonks nodded. "It sounds like you can sense magic. Maybe you're a wizard?"

"You're kidding right?"

Tonks smiled. "Not at all, I can check if you want me too, but I'll need my wand."

She could tell he was still a little bit nervous about giving her the wand back. "Tell you what, how about you let me fix my shoulder then I'll give it back to you and we can talk about it some more."

Jake could tell she was in pain and even with applying pressure to the wound with his temporary bandage, the injury was still bleeding. Keeping a watchful eye, he carefully handed Tonks the wand.

Tonks let Jakes bloodied shirt fall to the ground as she took the offered wand. She was very careful to move slowly and keep it pointed away from him. Having just seen what he had done to the two death eaters that had killed a muggle, her partner and disarmed her with relative ease, she didn't want to give him any reason to doubt her.

She grimaced in pain as she placed the wand a little too close to her arm accidentally touching the open wound with its tip. After taking a deep breath to push the pain away, Tonks muttered an incantation and moved the wand slowly in a clockwise motion causing a soft blue light to surround her shoulder.

Jake watched curiously as a blue light escaped from the tip of Tonks wand. He found it fascinating to watch the wound heal as if it were a movie being played in fast forward. "That's a pretty handy trick."

Tonks smiled and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I've got a lot of use out of that one being as clumsy as I am." Now finished healing her shoulder, Tonks carefully offered the wand back to Jake, continuing to move slowly and making sure the tip was never pointed at him. She was surprised when he shook his head and didn't take it.

"You sure?" she asked.

"Yeah, I've always been a pretty good judge of character and something tells me you're ok."

A companionable smile found its way onto Tonks face. "Thanks," she said.

Pointing the wand as Jakes shirt, she cast a quick cleaning spell to remove the blood stain and then frowned as she had to cast it two more times before all of the blood was gone. "Cleaning spells were never my strong point," she said causing Jake to chuckle as she handed him back his shirt.

Jake put his shirt back on as Tonks slid her wand into a holster on her forearm. Taking an offered hand, she then pulled herself to her feet.

"So, what was all this about?" Jake asked as they surveyed the alley.

Tonks sighed and was about to go into a long explanation about the Death Eaters when several popping sounds interrupted the pair. Tonks wand instantly appeared in her hand as she faced the new arrivals. Jake took up a position next to her with his knife at the ready.

A moment later Jake felt a hand on his arm and heard Tonks whisper to him. "It's ok, they're Aurors like me."

Jake lowered the knife and looked at her curiously. "Aurors?"

Tonks nodded. "Coppers."

Lowering the knife, Jake quickly stashed it back in his boot. As he stood back up, Tonks took hold of his arm again and quietly spoke.

"Follow my lead. If they think you're a muggle they'll obliviate you."

'Muggle? Obliviate?' he wondered. That didn't sound good, whatever it was. His eyes narrowed slightly and head tilted as a look of curiosity appeared on his face.

Tonks could see his confusion but didn't have time to explain. "Please." she implored him, "Trust me."

Jake looked into her begging eyes for another long second before giving her a short nod. He saw her give him a quick smile and felt her squeeze his arm before she let go of him once again stashing her wand in its holster as the other Aurors approached.

"Auror Tonks." Kingsley Shacklebolt said in greeting to the Jr. Auror as he approached.

"Sir."

"And you are?" he said turning his gaze to Jake.

"Jake Trapp," he said offering the Head Auror his hand.

Kingsley returned the greeting with a shake and a nod before returning his attention to Tonks.

"Report."

"Johnson," she said with a small waver in her voice, "and I were heading for the Leaky Cauldron when we observed two men in black cloaks pull a woman off the street and into the alleyway. We followed but were too late to prevent that one," she pointed at the death eater Jake had killed with his knife, "from casting the killing curse on her. She screamed briefly before the curse hit her and she fell."

Tonks took a deep breath before continuing. "At that point they turned on us and we noticed they were wearing white Death Eater masks. We drew our wands but before we could cast any spells, that one," she now indicated the other Death Eater who had just been re-stunned by Kingsley's companions, "used the killing curse on Johnson and the other one disarmed me."

"They were about to torture me when Mr. Trapp appeared and killed one with a knife and knocked the other one out. He then helped me heal my arm and then you arrived."

Kingsley looked deep in thought for a few minutes as he assimilated her words while gazing around the alley. With a nod towards Tonks, he turned to Jake.

"Mr. Trapp, it would seem I owe you thanks for saving one of my Aurors. Would you mind explaining the events of today from your perspective?"

Jake nodded. "I was doing some window shopping and was about to go into the Leaky Cauldron when I heard a scream and came to investigate. When I arrived the lady on the ground was already dead. I managed to work my way forward without being seen until I was behind that dumpster over there." Jake tilted his head to the right indicating a trash bin not far away.

"I drew my knife just in time to see a green light hit your other Auror and another light disarm Tonks here. They were advancing on her when I dispatched the one and knocked out the other. I then helped Tonks with her shoulder."

Again Kingsley nodded as he thought through the events of the day. "Once again thank you Mr. Trapp. I believe you saved a life today. I don't expect there will be any charges filed in this case with the exception of the surviving criminal."

"Criminal Sir?" Tonks interjected, "Don't you mean Death Eater?"

Kingsley sighed. "I'm afraid I mean criminal. Unfortunately our esteemed 'Minister' in all his wisdom is not recognizing the return of the Dark Lord. That means these men are not Death Eaters. There are, however, still many laws on the books that are left over from the last war so he will be charged with possession of Death Eater paraphernalia, attempting to incite hate/fear for wearing said paraphernalia not to mention he's an accomplice to the murder of the muggle as well as personally killing a law enforcement official. He'll be lucky if he only ends up with a life sentence in Azkaban rather than the Dementor's kiss."

Tonks nodded in understanding. It seemed the Minister was operating at his usual level of competence.

"Mr. Trapp, we'll need your personal information so that we can contact you in the future if it becomes necessary."

"I know how to get a hold of him." Tonks quickly said.

Kingsley nodded. "You're excused Auror Tonks. Please make sure your reports on my desk no later than Friday. Due to the death of your partner you'll be on administrative leave until further notice."

"Yes Sir." she said to Kingsley before turning to the man next to her. "Come on Jake."

With a quick nod towards Kingsley, Jake followed Tonks out of the alley. They walked down the street in silence for several blocks, each contemplating the events of the afternoon. Looking at his companion Jake noticed she seemed a little on edge.

"You ok?"

Tonks looked back at Jake and smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine."

He looked back at her taking in the forced smile on her face for several long seconds before shaking his head. "No you're not. Come on."

Placing his hand on the center of her back he led her into a nearby muggle pub, pushing her onto a stool at the far end of the bar. Waving to get the bartenders attention Jake tapped his fingers on the counter in front of him. "Whiskey."

Tossing a towel he had been cleaning a glass with over his shoulder, the robust man tending the bar picked up two shot glasses and a bottle of whiskey as he made his way over to the pair. Setting the glasses in front of them he poured them each a drink and started to leave.

"Leave the bottle," Jake said tossing a small pile of pound notes on the bar in front of him to let the bartender know he was serious.

With a quick nod the man set the bottle down and left to help some other patrons.

Picking up his glass, Jake held it up towards Tonks who followed suit.

"To the next great adventure," Jake said before swallowing the glass of amber colored liquor in a single motion. Setting the glass back down on the bar he picked up the bottle of whiskey and poured himself another shot before noticing that Tonks was looking at him curiously.

"What?"

Tonks shook her head and swallowed her drink. "Sorry, I just know someone else who refers to death that way."

Jake nodded and filled her glass. Placing the bottle back on the bar he picked up his drink and took a sip. "It really is you know."

"Is what?"

"The next great adventure." Gesturing around to nothing in particular he continued. "Surely you don't think this is all there is do you?"

"No, I suppose not. Being a witch and learning about all sorts of magics I know there's more, I just don't know what."

Jake nodded and sat staring at his drink for a long while. "Did you know your partner well?"

Shocked by the subtle shift in topics, Tonks looked up quickly from her own drink to find concerned eyes looking back. A moment later she looked back down. "No. Not really. We were only put together two days ago. I don't think he had a wife, just a sister somewhere. I feel sorry for her."

"How do _you_ feel about it?"

Tonks thought about the question for several minutes before answering. "I don't know. I guess I'm not as upset about it as I thought I'd be. I mean I'm upset, I just don't feel as bad as I thought I would. We all know the risks of the job and they try to prepare us for this type of thing, it's just, oh, I don't know, it just… it doesn't really feel real I guess."

Jake nodded knowingly. "It hasn't sunk in yet."

"Yeah, I guess."

Taking a napkin, Jake wrote his phone number down and passed it to Tonks. "Here, I've been there, if you decide you need someone to talk too when it sinks in, give me a call."

"Thanks." Tonks said sincerely as she shoved the napkin in her pocket. Picking up her shot glass she downed another drink. Jake followed closely behind before refilling both of their glasses.

"How did you do that by the way?"

Jake grinned as he took a sip of his drink. "Easy, I just picked up the bottle and poured. The tricky part was getting it all to land in the shot glasses."

Tonks rolled her eyes as Jake chuckled.

"Come on, I'm taking about what you did to the Death Eaters. I want to know how you took out two armed Death Eaters without using magic."

Letting out a deep breath, Jake looked her in the eye. "I was in the American Military for most of my life. Hand to hand combat just seemed to come naturally to me." With a shrug of his shoulders he turned back to his drink and took another sip. "Unfortunately most of my time is still classified so I can't talk about much of it."

Tonks nodded in understanding. Several of the missions she had been on were also classified. "Any chance you could teach me some of that?" Losing her wand had made her feel more vulnerable than she cared to admit and she hoped he would be willing to teach her to fight without it. Until she watched him deal with the Death Eaters as easily as he had, it had never occurred to her it was possible to fight them successfully with anything but magic.

Jake gave Tonks a calculating look as he thought about her request. "I suppose I could. How about if I teach you to fight and you teach me about the magical world?"

"Sure!" Tonks said with no small about of excitement.

"So let's start with what it was that you were worried about them doing to me back there and what are these Death Eaters you keep mentioning?"

"Obliviate. Basically they were going to erase part of your memory."

A look of anger crossed Jakes face and he looked like he wanted to say something but Tonks kept talking.

"The magical world is kept secret from the muggles. It wasn't always that way but if you know anything about the witch hunts from long ago I think you can understand why we all went into hiding. Whenever muggles witness us doing magic or find out anything about us and don't have a connection to the magical world we erase those memories from them."

Jake just shook his head, not entirely thrilled about what he was hearing. "Unbelievable. What gives you the right to take peoples memories from them?"

"Hey," Tonks said raising her hands, "I don't make the laws. It's been this way for hundreds of years. And it's not like we do it for fun or erase more than information about the magical world, it's to protect the magical community."

"I think we'll just have to agree to disagree on this point. I don't think I'll ever think its right to take unwilling peoples memories from them. It's our memories that make us who we are."

"I know, and honestly, I agree with you, probably because my dad's a muggle. Attitudes have changed a lot over the years and I'm not convinced the world wouldn't accept us now. Unfortunately I'm only one Junior Auror."

"It only takes one person to start a revolution Tonks." Jake said before moving the conversation along. "Anyway, what are Death Eaters?"

Tonks spent hours explaining all about Death Eaters and the Dark Lord. Jake noticed with particular amusement that she seemed to become much more animated and excited when she spoke about a young man who seemed to be a constant thorn in the Dark Lords side, Harry Potter.

"No one believes Harry and Dumbledore that he's come back, but I do. Harry's amazing. He'd never make anything like that up. If he said it happened, then it did," Tonks said with certainty and a smile playing on her face.

"So, you seem to be a bit taken with this _Harry_," Jake said with a bit of mischievousness in his voice.

"What?" Tonks quickly replied, all of her attention becoming focused on him in an instant.

Jake just raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not, it's, I mean…" Tonks was blushing bright red. Her embarrassment turned to incredulity as she noticed Jake laughing hysterically beside her. Reining in her blush, Tonks smacked the older man on the back of his head. "Quit picking on me."

Jake let out another laugh as she blushed again and took another shot of whiskey. Finishing his glass, Jake stood a little unsteadily and threw a few more pounds on the bar.

"Come on kid, let's get you home."

Tonks nodded and got up from her stool. Jake broke down in hysterics as she ended up on the floor in a ball of limbs and chair as she ran into the table next to where they were sitting. Jake continued to laugh as he helped the giggling girl up from the floor.

"Thanks Jake." Tonks said as she hung limply within his grasp.

"No problem." he replied. "Tonks?... Tonks?..."

Jake shook his head and chuckled as he realized she was out cold. Shaking his head, he picked her up, tossing the small girl over his shoulder before walking a bit uncertainly out of the bar.

Looking around as he began making his way down the street, Jake was surprised to find the streets were mostly deserted. Glancing at his watch he discovered it was almost one in the morning. Not knowing where she lived or what else to do, he walked several blocks to a brick building that housed five stories of units and climbed the many steps to the fourth floor where his apartment was located.

After making his way inside, he took Tonks into his bedroom and laid her down on the bed. She groaned softly and rolled over before a whisper escaped her mouth.

"Night Harry," she said softly before fading back into oblivion.

Jake couldn't help but grin and after removing her shoes, threw a blanket over her and went back into the living room to sleep on the couch.

* * *

Tonks woke the next morning and let out a groan as the pounding in her head let her know in no uncertain terms that she had gotten a little carried away the night before. She lay still for several minutes using her internal magic to calm her aching head before she was finally able to sit up. 

'Must be Jake's place.' she thought as she took in the unfamiliar surroundings. The last thing she remembered was falling on the floor of the bar they'd been talking in. Throwing aside the blanket that covered her she was glad to find she was still fully clothed, though she wasn't really surprised. Something about Jake made her feel comfortable and safe. She found she already trusted him even though she had only known him a very short time.

After slipping on her shoes which she found on the floor next to the bed, she took a good look at her surroundings. The room was simply furnished with basic hardwood furniture. A few odds and ends were scattered about and some dirty clothing littered the floor. The walls held a few pictures but they were all of landscapes and buildings rather than family and friends.

After taking a moment to stretch, Tonks stood from where she was sitting intent on finding her host. The minute she opened the door to the bedroom the smell of bacon hit her nostrils making her stomach feel a bit queasy.

"Morning Tonks!" Jake greeted his guest merrily as she appeared in the hallway.

"Uugh." Tonks grumbled as she wrapped one arm around her stomach and covered her mouth and nose with her other hand.

Jake couldn't help but laugh. "Come here."

Tonks wandered over to where he was working in the kitchen looking warily at a glass filled with a suspicious looking dark red concoction that Jake placed on the counter in front of her as she approached. "What's this?"

"A cure for what ails you."

Peering into the glass she held she found the mixture appeared to have stuff floating in it. Bringing it closer to her nose, Tonks took an experimental whiff. "Oh my god!" she exclaimed pulling back quickly with a grimace on her face. "What the hell's in this?"

"Don't ask a question you don't want to know the answer too." Jake said with a grin on his face. He found himself extremely amused as he watched the young woman in front of him debate about the 'drink' she held. "I'd just pinch your nose and drink it down quick if I were you."

Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Tonks held up the glass. "Cheers," she said before pinching her nose and throwing back the contents of the glass.

The 'goop' as she was best able to describe it seemed to crawl down her throat. Pinching her nose seemed to help with the smell and taste but as soon as she had finished the glass she found herself doubled over coughing violently. Her mouth, nose and throat felt like they were on fire and her eyes resembled leaky faucets as the tears ran freely down her face.

Jake was laughing hysterically. "Showers that way," he said pointing down the hall.

Unable to respond, Tonks ran down the hall slamming the bathroom door behind her before she stripped off her clothes and jumped in the shower with only the cold tap turned on. Between fits of coughing she managed to swallow a fair amount of the ice cold water before she finally got herself under control.

"Bugger," she said breathing heavily. With her fit past her, Tonks turned up the hot water and went ahead and took an actual shower. After finding clean towels under the sink, she dried herself off and cast several cleaning charms on her clothes before putting them back on.

"I should curse you into the next century for that!" Tonks growled much to Jake's amusement as she returned to the kitchen. "What the hell were you trying to do to me?"

"How do you feel?" Jake said still chuckling.

"What?"

"I said, How. Do. You. Feel?" he repeated annunciating every word of his question slowly.

Tonks looked shocked for a minute before she realized her hangover was only a memory now. "Umm, better, but I'm not sure it was worth it," she said grumpily.

Smiling, Jake handed her a large plate of eggs, bacon and hash browns which she eagerly took before sitting at the small kitchen table and diving in hungrily.

Pouring two cups of coffee, Jake joined her.

"Thanks," Tonks said accepting one of the steaming cups.

"No problem."

"Aren't you going to eat?" she asked feeling a bit rude to be eating in front of him.

"I ate while you were in the shower," Jake replied.

With a quick nod, Tonks returned to her meal though she set a more sedate pace than she had initially. "Thanks for taking care of me last night. I can't believe I got that shnockered."

"You did ok… for a light weight." Jake said grinning. He found himself smiling a lot around Tonks.

Tonks groaned. "You get some sort of sick pleasure out of busting my chops or something?"

Jake looked thoughtful for a minute. "Yup."

"Great," Tonks said rolling her eyes, "the big brother I never wanted."

"Hmmm, yeah, that'll work. Big brother… I like that," Jake said reaching over and ruffling Tonks pink hair.

Tonks just shook her head but she couldn't help but smile back at Jake. She really did like him and to be honest she had always wanted a sibling.

"So," Jake began, "tell me all about the wonderful world of magic. You got a broom and a black cat?"

_

* * *

Auror Tonks, _

_You are instructed to report to the office of the Head of Magical Law Enforcement Amelia Bones office at 2:00PM on July 14th concerning the matter of the death of Auror Johnson._

_Head Auror  
__Kingsley Shacklebolt_

Tonks rubbed her eyes as she re-read the letter for the tenth time. She had gone over what happened in the alley over and over in her mind and knew she had done everything correctly, but for some reason she still felt nervous about the meeting she had to attend in a couple hours time.

"Don't worry about it Tonks," Jake said. "You didn't do anything wrong. They're probably just ready to put your lazy ass back to work."

It had been four days since the incident with the Death Eaters and Tonks had spent almost all of her time hanging out with Jake.

"I know, I know, there's just something about being called in to your boss's office."

* * *

"Auror Tonks to see Madam Bones." Tonks said as she entered the Head of Magical Law Enforcements outer office. 

"Please have a seat, she'll be with you in a moment." the receptionist said.

Tonks took the offered seat and sat nervously fidgeting her fingers as she waited. A few minutes later Kingsley Shacklebolt entered the office.

"Hey Tonks," he said with a smile.

"Wotcher Shacklebolt."

"Try not to look so nervous Tonks, it's all good."

A wave of relief passed over Tonks at his words and smile as he let her know everything was fine.

"Madam Bones will see you both now."

Getting up from her seat, Tonks followed Kingsley into the office standing next to him in front of Amelia's desk.

"Have a seat Aurors." Amelia began with a gesture towards a pair of chairs sitting in front of her desk.

"Head Auror Shacklebolt, I have reviewed your records concerning the investigation into the death of Auror Johnson and find that Auror Tonks was not at fault in that incident." A small smile appeared on her face as she saw Tonks visibly relax and let out a sigh of relief.

"Auror Tonks, your record will be cleared of this incident and you are returned to active duty effective immediately."

"Thank you Director Bones." Tonks replied happily.

Amelia nodded. "You're quite welcome Auror. Dismissed."

Tonks nodded and left the office in very good spirits.

* * *

The next several months passed quickly for Tonks. She spent most of her free time with Jake and the two became very close. Tonks continued to teach Jake everything she could think of about the wizarding world and just as he had promised, Jake taught Tonks how to fight muggle style. 

He was amazed at how fast Tonks picked up hand to hand fighting. He himself had been told he picked it up far quicker than anyone his instructors had ever worked with, but Tonks was learning it even faster than he had. It would still take years for her to master, but he had no problem admitting he was impressed with her ability to pick up the skill. Eventually they decided it was because of the closeness Tonks had with her body as a Metamorphmagus.

It was a Saturday night and Jake was watching some TV when he heard a knock on his door. Getting up to answer it he was surprised to find Tonks on the other side looking something like a mixture of angry and upset.

"Tonks? I didn't expect to see you tonight. You ok?"

"Sorry, can I come in?" she asked with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Of course you can, nothing to be sorry about." Jake replied moving out of the way to let her in. "Take a seat. I'll get us some beers."

"Got anything stronger?"

"Course." Jake replied foregoing the beers and grabbing a bottle of Fire Whiskey and a couple of glasses from a cupboard in the kitchen.

Figuring the first glass would be consumed in a single gulp, Jake only poured the equivalent of about a shot into each glass. A moment later Tonks glass was placed back on the table, empty. Jake followed her actions though he took a bit more time to give the liquor a chance to numb her a little bit before placing his glass next to hers and filling each about half full. Replacing the cap on the bottle, Jake picked up his drink and took a sip before sitting back in the couch.

"This Fire Whiskey's pretty good stuff," he said examining the glass. "I particularly like the way it makes a little smoke come out of your ears when you shoot it."

Tonks let a small smile creep on to her face but Jake could tell it was forced. He watched as the smile slipped away and she picked up her own drink and took a sip.

"So what happened with your date?" Jake asked after she was done swallowing.

Tonks was quiet for several minutes before she finally turned to face Jake. "Why did I have to be born a stupid toy?"

Jake sighed having a pretty good idea where this was going.

"I mean it's always the same. No one I go out with ever sees me. I'm just a stupid toy for them to play with."

"What'd he do?"

Tonks took another sip and swallowed hard. "Things were going great. He was being really nice and dinner was great. He asked all about me and seemed interested. We went dancing and started kissing…" Tonks stopped and took another slightly larger drink before continuing.

"He pulled me close and after another minute he asked me if I could make myself a little taller to make it easier to dance. I was a little worried about it but did. I mean I guess it made sense and he didn't ask me to change the way I looked or anything. We danced some more and I was ok with it until he said I should make my breasts bigger to match my new height."

Jake didn't say anything, he just scooted closer and wrapped an arm around her. A minute later she was sobbing into his chest.

"Why? Why doesn't anyone like _me_? They all want me to be someone else," she said between sobs.

"Cause they're idiots. If they knew what I know about you, they'd be kicking themselves for losing you. You're one of the most wonderful people I've ever met and someday you'll find the one you're looking for."

Tonks let out a halfhearted huff. "I doubt it, they all see a toy."

"All of them?" Jake asked. "Even… Harry?"

He grinned as he felt Tonks smile against his shirt.

"Hey, I know how to cheer you up," Jake said in a much more jovial voice. "How about I go beat the snot out of the little butt hole?"

Tonks let out a snort and looked up with a smile on her face. "Naw, that's ok."

"Awe, come on. As your big brother, I think it's my right to be able to pound the crap out of anyone that makes you cry."

Tonks smiled and gave Jake a big hug. "Thanks Jake," she whispered.

Jake held her for a long time while she was lost in thought about her life and who she was. The silence was so comfortable he was a little surprised when he heard her whisper his name.

"Jake?" she said softly.

"Yeah?"

"Can I tell you a secret?"

Jake nodded even though he knew she couldn't see him with her head lying against his chest. "Of course."

It was quite for another minute before she continued. "I've never told anyone this, not even my parents."

Jake listened carefully realizing by her words and the tone of her voice she wanted to share something very important, very special with him.

Sitting up Tonks looked Jake in the eye and took a deep breath. "I'm not a Metamorphmagus."


	2. Old Friends

**Chapter 2 – Old Friends**

…After the Department of Mysteries in 'Order of the Phoenix'

Sirius slowly opened his eyes to find it was daytime. He lay still for several minutes as he slowly regained consciousness from a long and restful sleep. Deciding it was time to get up he rubbed the remaining sleep from his eyes and pushed himself into a sitting position with his arms.

Confusion took hold as he surveyed his surroundings trying to remember what had happened and how he had come to be wherever this place was. He grinned and let out a single snort at his first thought which was that whatever he had drank the night before had been strong and he had consumed way too much.

Looking around he found himself sitting on the ground in the middle of a large grassy plain that stretched out as far as the eye could see. There were small clumps of trees scattered about and as he turned around he discovered the land behind him turned into foot hills which eventually changed into mountains with snowy peaks. Standing up he continued to take in his surroundings, deeply breathing in the crisp, fragrant air. There was no doubt in his mind that this was the most beautiful place he had ever been.

As he tried to determine which way to go he noticed a small line of smoke wafting upwards in the direction of the mountains and set off. Walking towards the source of the smoke, his mind returned to the matter at hand as he tried to remember what had happened.

Sirius grimaced as he remembered Grimmauld Place and something about an emergency…

"Harry!" he blurted out as the events of the previous night returned with the force of a bludger.

Sirius stopped and looked around quickly as if his godson might be somewhere close by before transforming into his animagus form and breaking into a run towards the smoke he had been walking towards. He crossed an ice cold stream and ran over many hills which became larger and steeper as he neared his destination. Climbing a final hill he found himself looking at a small but very nice home that was nestled in amongst a grove of trees. It was two stories tall and had a wide porch that ran the entire length of the house.

Breathing heavily from the exhaustion of the run, Sirius transformed back into his human form and examined the area for signs of life. He spent several minutes looking at the home and the area around it as he caught his breath but the only sign that someone was about was the smoke silently rising from the chimney at one end of the building. As thoughts of his godson and the danger he had been in returned, Sirius drew his wand and cautiously approached the house.

He still found no evidence to indicate anyone was there as he quietly made his way up the stairs and on to the porch. He was only a few steps away from the front door when it was thrown open and the last person he expected to see stepped out smiling widely.

"P..P..Prongs?" he managed to stutter out.

"Hello Padfoot. Bout time you got here," James Potter said with a mischievous grin.

"Is it really you?" asked Sirius. His heart was racing and the hope in his voice was easy to hear.

James smiled at his long lost friend. "Course it is mate."

Not being able to stand it any longer, Sirius leapt forward and pulled his long lost friend who was more of a brother into a strong hug which was quickly returned. There were tears of happiness in Sirius eyes when the two finally separated.

"Just like you to cry like a little girl." James said followed by a lot of laughter.

Sirius laughed as well before changing into Padfoot and leaping on his friend.

"Stop! Quit it! I'll get fleas!" a laughing James said as Padfoot covered him with slobber.

Padfoot stopped a moment later as he heard a familiar bubbly laugh coming from just inside the door of the house. Looking up he found another familiar figure smiling back down at him, a figure with long auburn hair and brilliant green eyes.

Jumping off his friend, Padfoot changed back into Sirius before quickly crossing the space between them and pulling her into a hug.

"Heyya Lily Flower." he whispered to her with an emotion filled voice as he hugged her.

"It's good to see you Sirius," Lily said returning the hug.

A short while later they separated and the three shared large smiles.

"Come on boys," Lily finally said before turning and heading into the house. "Lunch is waiting."

A grinning James threw an arm around Sirius and led him into the home. They were half way across the living room when Sirius stopped and placed a hand on James shoulder. James was surprised to see a look of worry and urgency on his face.

"James! We have to find Harry! He's in trouble!"

James let out a long sigh. "Don't worry, Harry's ok. Don't you know where you are?"

A feeling of relief instantly flowed through Sirius. "Actually no, are you sure he's ok? Last I remember we were in the middle of a fight in the Department of Mysteries."

James nodded as he once again began steering Sirius towards the kitchen. "Yes, I'm sure. Don't you remember what happened at the end of the fight?"

Sirius scrunched up his forehead in concentration. "Well, I was dueling with Bella… I remember getting hit with some sort of curse, and then I was lying in the grass were the foothills start."

"The curse she hit you with threw you through the veil Sirius. You're in the death realm. Didn't me and Lily being here clue you in?"

"I'm dead?"

James nodded again. "As a doornail."

Sirius look of introspection over the knowledge of his death turned to one of confusion as he looked back at James. "A what?"

"Never mind," James said as he started to laugh. "Muggle saying. I guess I've been hanging around with Lily too much."

Sirius laughed and took a seat at the small kitchen table as Lily rolled her eyes at James comments.

"Hey," Sirius said as a thought occurred to him, "how'd you know what happened in the DOM anyway?"

"Well, we saw it in the pool," James said casually.

Sirius just stared at him with a look that clearly indicated he expected a better answer.

After a quick chuckle, James ate a bite of his meat pie before returning his attention to Sirius. "Don't worry, we'll show you after lunch. It lets us see some of what's going on. You're quite the wanker by the way," he finished with a straight face.

Sirius eyes opened wide and he started to babble while Lily reached over and smacked James on the back of his head.

"Relax Sirius, James is just having you on. Yes we can see some of what goes on in the pool, but the key word is some. It doesn't show us everything and we don't have much control over what we do see. I can assure you that what he said about you is complete rubbish… At least as far as you know." A wicked smile appeared on her lips and her eyes twinkled softly as she finished. James was laughing harder than ever.

Sirius looked back and forth between the pair several times with a look of shock on his face before he realized they were teasing him. Shaking his head he started smiling and laughing along with them.

"Damn it's good to see you again Padfoot," a laughing James finally managed to say.

* * *

After lunch the three went to the living room where the pool James and Lily had mentioned was located. The pool was low and round standing only a foot tall and roughly four feet across. The edges of the water were surrounded with a rough stone that looked as if it was native to the mountains outside the house. The surface of the water came right up to the top edge of the stone and was perfectly still. 

Sirius reached out to touch the brilliant blue water and found it felt exactly as he expected if not a bit cool to the touch. He was surprised, however, when he pulled his hand back and it was perfectly dry. Curious, he leaned forward to take a better look and realized he could not see the bottom. Beneath the surface the water seemed to go on and on in every direction with no end in sight. In fact he quickly realized he couldn't even see the sides of the pool when he looked in through the water.

As he continued to stare into the pool an image began to form. It started as a small point of light deep within the center of the water that quickly grew. As he continued to watch he saw an image of his godson form along with an image of the Gryffindor ghost everyone knew as Nearly Headless Nick. As soon as the images were fully formed they rose from within the water to hover just above its surface.

"He won't come back."

"Who?"

"Sirius Black," replied Nick.

Sirius heart broke and he could feel the tears running down his cheeks as he watched the scene play out before him. He saw Harry looking for him and thought he was going to be sick.

"He will not come back," repeated Nick, "he will have… gone on."

"What d'you mean 'gone on'?"

Sirius continued to watch while Harry became angry with the ghost before watching Nick float away leaving Harry alone. Sobs escaped Sirius throat as he took in the look of misery on Harry's face just before the image disappeared leaving nothing but the calm blue water of the pool behind.

Feeling hands on his shoulders, Sirius looked up from where he was kneeling beside the pool to find James and Lily looking at him with concern. "I should have stayed behind. I shouldn't have left him alone."

"People like you don't stay behind Sirius," James said squeezing his friends shoulder in support.

Lily kneeled down next to Sirius and pulled him into a hug. She gave him a few minutes to get past the worst of his grief before she began to speak softly. "It's ok Sirius. He'll be ok."

"I know he will." Sirius was barely able to force out. "It's just killing me that I can't be there for him."

"I know, I know." Lily replied after letting out a long sigh. "The pool's both a gift and a curse. It's a blessing to be able to share a bit of his life, but at times like this it hurts to know there's nothing you can do. No way to ease the hurt. Just know that he still has friends who love him and he'll get past this. He's a lot stronger than even he realizes."

It took a long while, but Sirius finally managed to calm down and Lily led him to a nearby sofa.

"Thanks guys," Sirius said softly still feeling Harry's pain.

Lily smiled and nodded.

"You know Padfoot," James couldn't help but say as the mood began to lighten, "you might have made a good poltergeist."

* * *

The next couple of weeks passed in a whirlwind of stories and laughter. The three old friends found themselves sitting in the living room enjoying their butter beers when Sirius began laughing so hard at one of James stories he accidentally knocked his mug off the table causing it to land on the floor with a loud crash. 

"Oh crap. I'm sorry guys." he said still fighting his laughter while he moved to clean up the mess.

Lily smiled brightly as she rose from her place next to her husband. "It's ok Sirius, I'll get it."

Sirius returned her smile and had the grace to look abashed as he watched her cross the room. He was surprised when instead of pulling her wand she retrieved a small dust pan from within a closet and began sweeping up the mess.

After emptying the broken glass in a trash can she put the dust pan back in the closet and headed out of the room. "I'll just get you another one and be right back."

Sirius watched the whole scene with confusion as he began quickly going over the last weeks since he had arrived at this place in his head.

"James?" he finally said looking to his brother for answers. "What's going on?"

James looked back confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean what's with the dust pan? Lily was the most gifted charms student I ever knew. Why not just do a simple Reparo and cleaning charm? Why didn't she just summon another bottle of butterbeer? And now that I'm thinking about it, I don't think I've seen you or Lily do any magic since I've been here."

As Sirius continued to look at James he was surprised to see an especially odd look appear on his face. He saw the smallest amount of sadness and resignation though he didn't think it had anything to do with his magic, mixed with a look that told him that whatever had happened he had done willingly and gladly. As he continued to watch James relive whatever had happened in his mind, Sirius was shocked to find the most prominent emotion that crossed his features was happiness.

"James?" Sirius finally said softly bringing his friend out of his reverie.

"Oh, sorry, why don't we wait for Lily, she knows more about it than I do."

Sirius nodded and the pair sat in silence for a few minutes until Lily returned.

"Here you go Sirius," she said handing him another mug just like the one he had broken earlier. Looking back and forth between the pair of men, she could tell something had changed the mood in the room, but she wasn't sure what.

"Guys?" she asked simply looking back and forth between the two. It was James who finally answered.

"He noticed you didn't use magic to clean up the mess."

Lily smiled and nodded in understanding. "Ah, I see." she said before turning to Sirius. "I'm sorry Sirius, we've lived so long without it that it didn't even occur to us to mention it to you."

Sirius nodded in understanding. "It's ok, I understand, I'm just a little concerned and curious as to what happened to you."

James and Lily shared a loving smile before she turned back to Sirius. "What do you know about the night we died?"

"Well," Sirius began, "Pettigrew gave you up to Voldemort and he came after you. He killed…" his breath hitched as he looked at his long lost friends for a minute before continuing, "James and then came after you and Harry. You wouldn't move out of his way so he killed you too. Then something happened and Harry defeated him." He had finished softly and sadly and was very surprised to look up to find the brightly smiling faces of his friends looking back at him.

"And how do you suppose a one year old Harry defeated the most powerful Dark Lord of our age?"

"No one's really sure, something about your sacrifice and love protecting him," Sirius replied. "How did he do it?"

James and Lily shared another smile before they began telling their story.

"Well, we're sorry we didn't tell you about it, but we knew we had to keep it a secret. It actually started at the beginning of the summer about six months before we went into hiding…"

* * *

"Alright Harry, alright. Just promise me you won't tell your mother." James said to his grinning son. 

Setting baby Harry down next to him, James drew his wand and cast a quick silencing charm on the door to the study where Lily was currently working. He then spun the wand around his head in a large circle casting another charm to expand the living room a little bit. After stuffing the wand back in his pocket, James stood and headed to the corner of the room not noticing that Harry had managed to grab the wand from his pocket.

Reaching his destination, James picked up his broom and turned to return to his waiting son.

"Oh crap!" he said running back across the room.

"Harry, no!" James said though he was having trouble not laughing as he took his wand back. Shaking his head, James turned towards his wife's favorite lamp which was now spewing large purple bubbles into the air, much to Harry's delight.

"Huh?" he muttered in confusion after several long minutes as he found himself unable to reverse whatever Harry had managed to do.

"Oh boy, now we've done it Harry." After staring at the lamp for a few more minutes, James shrugged his shoulders and replaced his wand in his pocket. "Oh well, we're in trouble now anyway, might as well go for that fly."

James picked up Harry and sat on his broom, carefully sitting Harry in front of him. Once again drawing his wand, James cast a spell to limit the brooms speed followed by another creating shield bubble around them before once again returning the wand to his pocket.

"Ok Harry," James said placing his sons hands on the broom, "it's all yours son."

After helping Harry get the broom in the air, he allowed him to steer the broom around the room.

Wham!

"Easy Harry, no wait!"

Bang! Smash!

"Wait, no go the other way!"

Harry was giggling hysterically.

Thump! Bump, bump, bump, bump… Thwack! Crash!

"Oh bugger, Lils is gonna kill us." James laughed.

The pair flew around the room bumping into everything in sight and laughing all the while. They were just flying through the purple bubbles issuing forth from Lily's reading lamp for the fifth time when Harry tensed up in James arms.

"What is it son?" James said looking down at the boy in his arms. It was right about then that the smell hit him. "Oh man."

Landing in front of the couch, James banished the broom back to its corner before quickly canceling the expansion charm he had cast on the living room followed by the silencing charm on the study door.

"Lils!" James hollered. "Lils!"

Lily looked up from the scrolls she had been examining and rolled her eyes. 'What now?' she wondered. Getting up from her desk she stretched her arms high over her head for a few seconds before letting out a long breath and heading into the living room where her husband was bellowing her name.

"What is it James?" she said as she entered the room. Looking at the scene before her she wondered how long she had actually been in the study. The room looked as if a rather large tornado had swept through upsetting everything in its path. In the middle of the disaster sat James holding a giggling baby Harry at arms length. "And why is my lamp spitting out bubbles?"

"Um, I'm not really sure. Probably something wrong with the electricity charms on it."

Lily sighed knowing better than to believe his lame excuse and quickly returned the lamp to normal. "I think I'll pretend I didn't see that."

James nodded. "Probably a good idea."

"So other than that, what was it you needed?"

"Harry needs a change," he said.

Lily shook her head as she began looking through the mess for the diaper bag. "Honestly James, you know very well how to change him."

"Yeah, but your better at it and I'm pretty sure he was missing his beautiful mommy," he said before turning to his son who was dangling from his hands, "Weren't you Harry?"

Harry let out a giggle that seemed to urge James on. "Yes you were, yes you were."

Lily couldn't help but smile at her husband's antics and the giggling Harry was doing wasn't helping either. "That's very cute honey, but you're not getting out of it that easily."

"Mama!" Harry suddenly said gaining the undivided attention of his parents.

"What? What did you say Harry?" Lily said stepping closer and kneeling next to her son.

"Mama!"

The widest smile Lily had ever worn lit up her face as she took baby Harry from her husband. "Oh your first words, my smart little man." she said giving him a kiss on his forehead.

"Mama! Mama! Mama!" Harry kept repeating.

"Ok, I'll clean you up sweetheart," she said finally laying him down on a changing mat where she began cleaning him up.

As his initial shock wore off, James grinned widely and let out a little chuckle that did not go unnoticed by Lily. Finishing with her efforts she crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows letting out a mock glare directed towards the two most important men in her life.

"You two planned this didn't you?" she couldn't help but smile and laugh as Harry smiled back and let out a gurgle.

"Mama!" Harry said again raising his arms towards his mother.

"Oh you two," she said before she began tickling Harry mercilessly.

Harry giggled and shrieked, squirming wildly as his mother tickled and played with him before picking him up and hugging him tightly.

"I love you so much Harry," she said before placing a loving kiss on his forehead. "Why don't you play with your father some more while I finish up in the study? Ok sweetheart?"

"How much longer do you think you'll be tonight?"

"Not much," she said addressing James, "I think I may have found something and just want to look into it a bit more before I quit for the night."

After giving Harry anther hug and kiss, she held him out towards James who was waiting to play with his son with a large grin on his face. Harry held out his hands towards his father as he was being handed to him.

"Mama!"

Lily let out a snort as James continued to smile and try valiantly to correct his son. "No Harry, I'm Dada. Can you say Dada?"

"Mama!"

"No, Dada! Dada!"

"Mama!" Harry said giggling wildly as James began tickling him.

Lily couldn't help but smile at the men she loved with all her heart as she watched them play. It almost seemed as if Harry knew what was going on and was teasing James. 'Well,' she thought, 'it would serve him right.' As she returned to her study she let out a soft groan realizing she might very well have given birth to another Marauder.

Pushing the thoughts of her son and husband aside, she sat back down at her desk and continued with the translation she had been working on for the last few hours. Before going into hiding, they had made a final trip to the Potter Family Vault to store some of their prized possessions and while there had removed several old books and scrolls that looked like they might be of use in the research Lily had been doing.

Ever since they had found out the Dark Lord was after their son, Lily had been searching high and low for a way to protect him. She had searched the Hogwarts library and the ones at the ministry without any luck. Knowing the Potters were a very old line of light wizards, she hoped that the materials she found in their vault would be of some use. She had already gone through the books she had taken without any luck but the scroll she was currently working on looked very promising.

A couple hours later she had finished translating the first portion of the scroll and stopped to read what she had so far.

_The Foundations of Magic_

_Magic in its simplest form could be described as energy. More than just energy, however, Magic is thought to be one of the basic building blocks of life. Why some individuals and not others are able to manipulate this energy remains unknown to this date, but the energies have been found to be tied heavily to emotion lending credibility to the theory that life itself is a result of this energy._

_Many different types of Magic exist and as with most things these 'offshoots' are believed to be rooted to a single, powerful foundation from which all magical power originates. In its simplest definition and simplest form, this foundation is believed to be love._

Lily was getting more and more excited the further she read. If what was in the paper was correct, she believed she had found the solution to her son's safety. Giddy with the possibilities of her discovery, she eagerly continued translating the lengthy scroll.

It was a few days later and wearing a large smile on her face that she entered the kitchen where James was feeding Harry. After placing several pieces of parchment on the table she sat on James lap and gave him a long kiss.

"Mama, Dada, Mama, Dada…" Harry began repeating breaking the romantic moment.

"Oh sweetheart, I have one for you too." Lily said leaning over to give her son's food covered face a kiss. "Mmm," she said as she pulled back, "apple sauce."

Harry laughed and waved his arms around as his mother smiled at him. Taking the bowl of food from her husband she pointed to the papers she had brought in with her. "I'll finish feeding him, why don't you read those. I just finished the translation and there's a ritual that will do what we want. It's not quite what we were looking for, but if the worst comes to pass, he should be well protected."

James nodded and after washing his hands sat at the table and began reading through Lily's notes.

A little while later as Lily was finishing washing up Harry, James finished with the notes. "We should do this right away," he said with certainty.

Lily nodded. "It's surprisingly simple. The only danger comes if the love we share for Harry isn't strong or pure enough." Turning towards her son, her eyes were sparkling. "That's not a problem at all."

James had moved to stand next to her and was also looking down at his son with a warm smile. "Not even a little bit of a problem."

Moving into the living room, James sat on the couch with Harry on his lap while they watched Lily prepare for the ritual.

She started by levitating the coffee table, several chairs and a rug out of the way to clear a large area in the middle of the room. Following her notes and concentrating on her and her husbands love for their son, she then began using magic to etch several obscure runes into the wood floor forming a rough circle that was about two meters across.

Receiving a look from Lily, James stood and carefully carried Harry to the circle laying him down on his baby blanket which Lily had place in the center. They both smiled as Harry looked back up at them grinning brightly. Kneeling within the circle on either side of their son, James and Lily drew their wands.

"Iugum magicus demorior!" Lily said holding her wand in both hands. The magic in the room became thick with her words but far from being frightening it was a comforting power that enveloped and protected them warming their very hearts with its comforting grasp. Gripping her wand tightly, she snapped it in half with a resounding crack.

Smiling at his wife, James repeated the ritual. "Iugum magicus demorior!" The magic in the room thickened again as he completed the phrase before snapping his wand.

Concentrating on their love for their son, James and Lily raised the broken pieces of their wands towards the sky. A moment later there was a flash of fire and the most beautiful phoenix they had ever seen appeared in the room above them. Contrary to every phoenix on record which were primarily colored red as was Albus Dumbledore's phoenix Fawkes, this one was shades of blue fading to white at the tips of its feathers that made it look as if it were the center of the flame, its hottest and most powerful part.

Their awe at the unexpected color of the phoenix changed to complete and utter wonder as two more similarly colored phoenixes appeared.

"Lily?" James muttered in question.

Lily shook her head as she continued to gaze at the magnificent creatures circling above them. "I don't know. There was only supposed to be one."

"Bwedie!" Harry giggled drawing his parent's attention back to the matter at hand. Looking down they found Harry looking up in wonder and happiness at the phoenix flying overhead.

The phoenix's continued to circle for a minute before the first to appear flew down taking the pieces of the Potters broken wands in his powerful talons and taking flight again returning to the air to circle with his brothers. Their song began to fill the air, slowly building along with the feeling of love that filled the hearts of the three humans in the circle.

As the song became louder, James and Lily could feel their magic reaching out towards their son. They felt it encase him and bond with him connecting and making itself part of his very soul. A few minutes later the song began to fade and the magic began to recede.

With a final burst of song, there was another burst of flame and the three phoenixes disappeared.

James and Lily sat by their son in a stunned silence for a long while.

"That was, I mean, I don't know, what was that? What just happened?" James finally managed to stutter out.

"I don't know James. But what ever it was it was a good thing. I can feel it in my heart, it was good. The ritual worked."

"Yes it did, we'll have to arrange to get new wands."

As they shared a smile there was another burst of flame as the first phoenix that had appeared returned. There was a clatter on the floor next to both James and Lily who looked down to find their repaired wands lying next to them.

"What?" James asked.

Lily shrugged her shoulders and watched as the phoenix landed next to them before walking up to Harry.

"Bwedie!" Harry said again.

The phoenix let out a soft trilling, singing to an extremely happy Harry who kept giggling and pulling at its feathers.

James and Lily moved to the couch and allowed the two to interact confident in the knowledge a phoenix would never allow any harm to come to their son. They watched for a long while amazed at how gentle and loving the magical creature was with Harry until he finally began yawning widely, worn out from the evening's events.

* * *

Sirius had a look of amazement on his face as the story ended. He had laughed hysterically and Lily had frowned as James told of his antics with Harry and marveled in wonder at what Lily had discovered and the following ritual. 

"So, 'Iugum magicus demorior', my Latin's never been that good, but that's something like 'Bond Magic Love' isn't it?" Sirius asked.

Lily smiled. "Not quite, but close enough."

"So, you gave Harry your magic?"

"No, not exactly, we bound our magic to him using the base of all magic, love. When we died protecting him, it sealed the spell transferring our magic to him through love, and using that love to protect him."

Sirius nodded as he began to understand. "So he has the combined magic of himself and both of you?"

James and Lily shared a sad smile.

"Yes and no." Lily continued. "He does, but he hasn't been able to use it as he should."

Sirius look returned to one of confusion as he thought about what she said. "He is a powerful wizard, but you're obviously right, he's not shown any were near the amount of power the three of you would have had combined. Why is that?"

Lily let out a sad sigh. "The magic we used to protect him is based in love. He does have our magic within him, but he can only access it through love. Unfortunately growing up with my sister," she spat out, "he's never really learned to love. But he has displayed his potential on occasion. You were even there once though you were passed out at the time."

Sirius looked at her curiously as he thought for several seconds before the light seemed to switch on in his brain. "His patronus, it takes positive emotions to create one."

Lily nodded. "Yes it does. Harry created one to save you that chased off over a hundred dementors. Most fully grown wizards can't create one at all and the ones that can, could never come close to scaring away that many, yet Harry did it to save you."

Awe was the only word that could describe the look on Sirius face as Lily told him that Harry had harnessed the power they had gifted to him to save him. Harry had really loved him.

"I understand why you don't miss your magic. I wouldn't either."

"No," James said, "we don't miss it. We only wish Harry'd had a better life growing up. Not knowing love means he hasn't been able to consciously use our gift. He has the power within him to do what he needs to do, but I fear he will never be able to use it."

"I'm sorry," Sirius said softly with his head in his hands. "I shouldn't have gone after Wormtail that night. I should have stayed and been there for Harry."

"It's not your fault Sirius. Even had you been there, Dumbledore would have still placed him with the Dursleys. The same magic we gave to protect him is tied to the blood wards Dumbledore created around Privet Drive."

"Dumbledore..." Sirius whispered with a hint of anger though he did not look up.

James sighed. "I know, I know, we're not thrilled about the way he's handled a lot of things concerning Harry. But we don't blame him either. As many mistakes as he's made, his intentions have always been good."

Sirius let out a long sigh and sat back in his seat. "I suppose you're right. I just wish I could still be there for Harry, that I could still help him. I'd do anything to help him."

"We would too Sirius, we would too."

The group sat in silence for a few minutes before the old man sitting across from them spoke up.

"I do so love to hear you all speak of Harry. The way you look and sound while you do so is most invigorating. He was lucky to have you all in his life, even if only for a little while."

He had appeared along with his chair not long after James and Lily started telling their story. They all knew he was there but were wholly unconcerned as if his appearing out of the blue was a normal event, even an expected one that would normally be given no more thought or notice than something entirely benign such as an extra chair that sits in a corner.

At first glance he appeared relatively young sitting in simple squishy armchair with his legs crossed. He had tan skin and a long skinny nose. He wore a long white beard and had a smile that could disarm anyone. It was his eyes, however, that told the true story of his being.

His eyes were the most brilliant blue you could ever imagine, a blue which interestingly enough seemed to perfectly match the blue of the pool that sat between them. His eyes showed the age of a being whose life spanned centuries and millennia rather than days and years and revealed tightly controlled yet unfathomable power. Yet his entire presence seemed natural and normal. It seemed to reach out towards you and put you at ease, much as a phoenix song would.

Sirius, James and Lily smiled at his comments as they continued to think of Harry.

Leaning towards the pool, the man spoke again. "Let's see what he's up too, shall we?"

As he stared into the waters depths an image of Harry's room began to form.

* * *

Harry was standing in a larger version of his room. Off to one side stood a man neither James, Lily nor Sirius had ever seen before. 

With his wand in hand, Harry scanned the room looking for his assailant. Seeing some movement out of the corner of his eye, Harry cast a stunning spell towards the figure there. Not expecting it to be reflected back, he had to dive to his right and barely avoided being hit.

As he was trying to stand he felt his wand get knocked from his hand and all the air leave his lungs as he was kicked in the chest, knocking him back to the ground where he was quickly pinned.

"Uncle! I give, I give."

Tonks grinned as she sat up on top of his chest and crossed her arms. "And what are you going to call me from now on?" she asked giving him a teasing glare.

"Well, not Nymphadora, I can tell you that." he replied.

Tonks let out a scowl and conjured a bucket of ice water which she held above his head.

"What was that Harry? I don't think I quite got that."

"Alright! Alright! Tonks!" he said holding his hands up to fend off the bucket.

A laughing Tonks dumped the bucket anyway gaining a yell from Harry before he was pleasantly surprised to find the bucket now contained confetti rather than ice water. Tonks laughed even harder as Harry let his body slump back to the floor with a loud groan.

* * *

The old man was grinning ear to ear as the scene vanished from the pool. While initially being shocked and worried at the scene they had witnessed, James, Lily and Sirius were also smiling as it faded away. 

"That girl loves him." he said as he sat back in the chair he had appeared in.

"Really?" Sirius asked in surprise. "Imagine that, my cousin. I had no idea."

"Yes, she does, though unfortunately as is the case with Ginny, he just can't believe that anyone would love him."

James and Sirius couldn't help but let out a chuckle earning James a smack on the back of his head from Lily. Sirius was only spared because he was out of reach.

"I'm sorry Lily Flower, but you have to admit it's a bit funny. I mean all of Hogwarts knows about Ginny's crush on Harry and yet he remains completely oblivious," a grinning James said.

Lily let a small smile grace her lips for a few seconds at the thought. "I suppose it is a bit humorous, or it would be if the ramifications weren't so severe."

A hushed silence fell over the room for a few minutes as the group contemplated the meaning of what Lily had just said. Finally the old man spoke up.

"It is true that the prophecy he lives under binds his fate. But hope comes in many shapes and forms as does power. Perhaps the power the riddle speaks of is the gift you have given him, but it could just as easily be something else."

The three friends looked up curiously wondering where he was going with this.

The old man smiled back kindly at the three. "I find myself watching Harry intently. I was drawn in by the self sacrificing love of his parents and godfather and riveted firmly in place by the caring nature of his acts as he has become the man he is. You should all be very proud."

A moment later there was a flash of fire above the pool as a beautiful blue phoenix appeared. A phoenix James and Lily had seen once before. Flying towards Lily, it dropped a small scroll within her hands before disappearing in another brilliant flash.

The man stood and the chair vanished as he addressed them again. "In your hand you hold a power which has only been granted once before. It is a power rarely sought out for the consequences are severe but it would give him what he requires to fulfill the prophecy which binds him, guaranteeing that he would emerge from the other side victorious."

"This power, as with every other, comes at a price. The price would be paid by both Harry and yourselves. For you, it would mean you will never be able to see him again. Never be able to touch, hold or embrace him for all eternity. For him, well, for him it would mean many different things. Examine what I have given you. It is your choice whether you send it to him or not. Should you choose to give him the choice, you may send along a letter from each of you, however, you may not mention anything that would interfere with his normal development. By this I mean you may not tell him anything that will alter his decisions regarding this choice or others he will make."

With his speech finished, the man gave them another kindly smile before vanishing into thin air. He was fully aware that anything they put in a letter no matter how benign it appeared to be would alter Harry's views and affect his future choices but he found he didn't mind.

They all thought about his parting words for a long while, contemplating their meaning until Lily finally opened the scroll the phoenix had given her and read the title. 'Immortality'


	3. Home to Privet Drive

**Chapter 3 – Home to Privet Drive**

…Summer after 'Order of the Phoenix'…

Nymphadora Tonks stood just outside Kings Cross Station after she and a few other members of the Order of The Phoenix had finished their 'talk' with the Dursleys. Partially hidden behind one of the many parked cars, she watched the raven haired young man trudge along behind his relatives as they made their way across the lot to Vernon's car.

As she had parted from the group after their chat, a feeling of unease had settled over her and she hadn't been able to get herself to go home as she had initially planned. Moving her gaze from Harry to his uncle, she could clearly see the man was angry. Had they done the right thing? Would the Dursleys heed the warning they'd been given?

Harry's relatives were some of the worst, most disgusting muggles she had ever encountered and she couldn't even begin to imagine how Harry had turned out to be as wonderful as he was growing up with people like them. She had heard stories about the way Harry had been treated both before and after he had started Hogwarts and had even seen a small bit of it herself when she had been assigned guard duty at Privet Drive.

Her wand hand twitched by her side as she idly rubbed her thumb across her fingertips, itching to draw the piece of oak she carried and curse the Dursleys into oblivion. Lost in her thoughts she failed to notice Remus Lupin walk up behind her.

"Knut for your thoughts."

Tonks jumped in surprise as Remus spoke, but her eyes never left Harry and his relatives. "This isn't going to work out Remus, we shouldn't have done that."

Remus sighed as he took a close look at Harry's uncle. The large man's face was a combination of red and purple and you could almost see the smoke pouring from his ears he was so angry.

"What should we do?"

Tonks thought furiously for several long seconds before coming to a decision. "Come on."

Remus jogged along behind Tonks as she practically ran across the parking lot to catch up to the Dursleys. A few cars down from where they were parked Tonks stopped and spun around to face Remus.

"Wait here for a minute." she said indicating a spot next to where a van was parked. "I'll be right back."

Curious as to what she had in mind, Remus nodded and watched as she turned and walked towards the car where the Dursleys were scowling at Harry as he loaded his trunk into the back.

"Wotcher Harry." Tonks said being her usual bright, bubbly self. She noticed Vernon seemed to become impossibly angrier, Petunia took in her appearance with disgust and Dudley seemed to cower from her with his hands covering his back side for some strange reason.

"I just need another minute, Remus and I need a quick word. You don't mind waiting do you?" she asked the Dursleys, visibly fingering her wand as she did.

Tonks smiled as she saw the three pale.

"Just be quick about it." Vernon finally managed to sputter out.

Sending him a quick smile that was far from sincere, Tonks grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him towards the place where she had left Remus standing. As they reached the spot where he was patiently waiting, she pulled Harry behind the van so that they were hidden from view.

"You ok Harry?" she quickly asked.

Harry just shrugged his shoulders, the pain from the loss of his godfather wasn't nearly as bad as it had been thanks to his talk with Luna Lovegood, but it still left him feeling somewhat indifferent and uncaring as to his own fate. "I'm fine. I should go though. Did you want something?"

Tonks felt her heart clench at the sound of his voice. "Your uncle looks pretty pissed. I'm just a little worried that maybe we messed things up for you."

"It's ok. I'm used to it," he said with another shrug of his shoulders and a faraway look in his eyes.

Another pang passed through her chest and she took a quick glance at Remus finding a look of worry on his face that told her how much he cared for Harry and she instantly knew he would go along with her idea.

"Harry," she said as she turned her attention back towards him, "how about Remus takes you back to Privet Drive this time around."

Harry's face was a mixture of shock and hope at her suggestion and she smiled internally as she noticed the expression was mirrored on Remus face. A moment later, as fast as the hope had appeared, it disappeared. "I don't think the Dursleys would let me do that."

Tonks grinned and stared intently at Harry. As she concentrated on his features her form began to shift until she was the spitting image of the young man before her. "Don't worry about that Harry. I'll go with them, that way they'll never even have to know."

The look of hope briefly returned before once again disappearing to be replaced by nervousness. Harry wrung his hands and looked towards were the Dursleys were no doubt impatiently waiting for him even though he couldn't see them from where they were standing behind the van.

"I don't know. I'm not sure this is a good idea."

"It's ok Harry, I don't mind. You and Remus can go hang out for awhile and have some dinner and I'll swap with you later." Tonks said with a mischievous grin.

Her smile and uncaring attitude seemed to do little to placate Harry. "It's not that, it's just that, well, he, I mean sometimes Uncle Vernon can be a little... mean." Harry looked worried and almost afraid. "I just, I don't want anything to happen to you." he finished softly.

Tonks wanted to cry, she couldn't believe what these people had done to Harry. "No worries Harry, after all, I am a big strong Auror."

Before he could protest further, Tonks drew her wand and cast a switching spell on their clothes so that she was now dressed in the horribly worn and baggy hand me downs Harry had been given to wear by the Dursleys out of the kindness of their hearts. With a few more waves of her wand, Harry found himself with green hair and a different set of facial features.

Replacing her wand in its holster on her forearm, Tonks winked at Harry and waved to Remus. "Have fun boys, I'll see you later." Leaving the stunned pair behind, Tonks hurried around the van to join the Dursleys for the ride back to Privet Drive.

Sliding into the backseat of the Dursley's car, Tonks was about to tell the fat lump next to her to budge over when she realized she was supposed to be Harry who based on what she knew of him would probably not bother. Besides, she wasn't sure he'd be able to scoot over much anyway.

The ride back to Privet Drive was relatively quiet. Tonks spent most of the time staring out the side window as the scenery flew by, though she was really covertly watching the Dursleys.

Vernon's face continued to rotate between shades of red and purple while he continually glared at the image of Harry in his rear view mirror. On several occasions Tonks swore he was about to say something but each time he seemed to reign himself in. Perhaps the talk they gave him at the station had worked after all.

Petunia stared forward, her form as rigid as always as she patently ignored her nephew's existence. Tonks, however, could easily tell by the horse faced woman's profile that she was not the least bit happy about what had happened.

Dudley, it seemed, didn't know what to think. He seemed frightened to be sitting next to what he thought was Harry, but at the same time seemed to be soaking up some of Vernon's anger. She was pretty sure that whatever decision Vernon came to concerning how he was going to treat Harry this summer would be mirrored by his fat whale of a son.

It wasn't long before they pulled into the driveway at number four and everyone stepped out of the car. A low growl escaped Tonks throat as the Dursleys left her alone to get Harry's trunk and owl cage and headed inside. Taking a deep breath to calm her anger at their treatment of Harry, she removed the trunk and Hedwig's empty cage from the car and headed up the walk.

Entering the front door she found Vernon waiting for her/Harry with Dudley and Petunia standing not far behind him.

"Close the door boy."

Tonks sighed and set down the trunk and cage. After closing the door she turned around but instead of seeing the Dursleys, she saw stars.

* * *

Harry watched nervously as the Dursley's car pulled out of the parking lot and disappeared down the road. He couldn't help but worry about Tonks and what might happen to her. Feeling a hand on his shoulder he looked over to find Remus looking back at him. 

"Don't worry Harry, she can handle herself." Remus said with a kind smile.

Harry smiled back at Remus trying his best to push his nervousness aside and nodded.

"Well, I was just going to apparate home, but I guess we'll need to find another way. Are you hungry?"

"Not really," Harry answered.

"Yeah, me neither. How about we wander around muggle London for a bit, maybe do some window shopping until supper time."

Harry smiled again and nodded. "That sounds good."

The pair walked away from Kings Cross, checking out the wares in the various windows as they wandered around town. Harry found it nice to be out with a magical person who knew all about the muggle world like Remus did having spent most of his life working in it.

Stopping in front of a pet store they discovered a pen with several furry balls of hair wrestling around inside. Harry couldn't help but think of Sirius as the small dogs ran around, playing happily with each other. Stepping up to the window, he placed his fingertips on the glass as he watched the puppies.

Remus watched the puppies for a long minute thinking of his friend until he noticed Harry looking at them sadly. "Harry?" he said softly placing a hand on the young mans shoulder.

Harry looked up with tears in his eyes. "I'm sorry Remus."

The werewolf pulled Harry into a hug, holding him tightly. "It's ok Harry. Everything's going to be ok. It's not your fault."

Harry initially stiffened at the gesture but quickly relaxed into the only remaining Marauders embrace. He cried softly for a few minutes before the wave of sadness finally passed and Harry pulled away.

"Sorry," he said softly, slightly embarrassed at the display.

Remus just smiled and gave him a manly pat on the back to point him in the right direction as he began walking down the sidewalk again. Inside Remus was soaring over the brief display of affection Harry had shared with him. He wanted nothing more than to be a part of Harry's life and had been worried that Harry would push him away after everything that had happened. Nothing more was said about the incident the words simply weren't needed.

Eventually hunger began to gnaw at the pair and after a brief debate they made their way to a nearby pizza place for an early dinner. Many slices of pizza, soft drinks and funny stories later, Harry and Remus slipped into a deserted alley to summon the Knight Bus.

Harry stepped back as Remus raised his wand into the air. A moment later, there was a loud bang as a violently purple bus appeared next to them. After paying their fares, the two took beds next to each other and did their best to not get sick during the wild ride that followed.

"Surrey!" Stan called out as the bus screeched to a halt nearly throwing Harry from the bed he was occupying.

Leaving the bus, Harry and Remus took a minute to get acclimated to an environment that didn't throw your body in every imaginable direction at random intervals before beginning their walk to Privet Drive.

* * *

Tonks head hit the bottom stair as she was knocked down from the impact of Vernon's fist hitting the left side of her face. The edges of her vision darkened briefly as she lay on the floor but she came back to herself as a boot impacted her right side. The pain she felt not to mention the sharp crack that echoed through the entry way let her know in no uncertain terms that she now had several broken ribs. 

A moment later Vernon's red and purple face filled her vision. "Now you listen to me you worthless little _freak_, I don't care what your freaky friends said back at the station, I will _not_ be intimidated!"

Between the damage to the side and back of her head not to mention her ribs, the pain Tonks was in was considerable, but it was Vernon's words that had her stunned. It simply baffled and amazed her that Harry's family would treat him like this. As she watched the fat oaf of a walrus hover above her and bellow, she found it hard to believe that he could get any more upset, but his anger was continuing to increase.

"I'll bet you thought that was pretty funny didn't you? Well I'm going to tell you right now that you're going to pay for putting them up to that! After the kindness we've shown you taking you in off the street, feeding you, clothing you, giving you Dudley's second bedroom you go and pull something like this! I'll not have it!"

'Kindness?' thought Tonks. The things she was hearing absolutely floored her. However bad she had thought Harry had it, it was obviously much, much worse.

"We'll be locking your freaky things up in the garage and you'll be moving back to your cupboard under the stairs. You'll do all the chores you're told to do and spend the rest of the day in your 'room'. If you want anything to eat, they had better be done good. When that filthy owl of yours returns it will be locked in its cage. Every three days we'll write a note to those people together. Any funny business from you or…"

Tonks had heard enough. Her anger had slowly risen as she had listened to the boy she cared for more than anyone else knew be belittled and abused and she wasn't going to put up with it anymore. She was only a little bit surprised to realize that as angry as she was at Harry's 'relatives', she could hardly think of them as his family anymore, she was also mad at Dumbledore. He was the one who put Harry here with these 'people' and then either failed to check up on him or disregarded what he saw. He was more at fault for Harry's situation than anyone save the Dursleys and she planned to do something about it.

Having spent a considerable amount of time perfecting her wandless summoning charm, Tonks wand appeared in her hand in less time than it took to blink an eye.

"Expelliarmus! Stupefy! Stupefy! Stupefy!" she quickly shouted.

A look of shock briefly appeared on Vernon's face as the first jet of light flew towards him from Tonks wand. A moment later the light impacted the center of his chest lifting him up and throwing him across the hallway and into the living room where he landed on a coffee table smashing it to bits.

Her second spell hit the same target stunning him. Dudley and Petunia screamed as they saw Vernon being attacked with Harry's abnormality but went silent a moment later as they were each hit with stunners of their own knocking them out.

After checking her targets, Tonks slumped back down to the floor with a loud groan. Her head throbbed in pain and she could barely see from her left eye because of the enormous amount of swelling taking place. The small amount of movement she had made subduing her aggressors had aggravated her chest and her breathing was coming in short, ragged gasps, each one bringing with it a sharp pain in her right side.

Tonks lay still for several minutes doing her best to work through the pain and push it aside so she could do what she knew she needed to do. Not for the first time in her life, she wished she was better at healing charms than she was. She might be one of the best fighters around, but when it came to healing or cleaning she was only barely passable.

Concentrating on her chest, she pointed her wand at herself and muttered the first charm she would need. Being a version of the binding charm she often used on criminals, Tonks was very proficient with bandages and quickly managed to tightly bind her ribs in place. A hiss escaped from between her gritted teeth as she applied the bandage and sweat was beading on her forehead by the time she finished.

She spent another few minutes recovering from the pain and exertion of binding her ribs before turning her attention to her face. With another spell, a soft blue light escaped the tip of her wand enveloping the left side of her head. It was with no small amount of relief that the swelling began to go down, finally leaving her with only the bruises to tell the story of what happened.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Tonks struggled to get to her feet. The bandages immobilized her ribs but they were still very painful and would need professional attention soon. Unfortunately, she had a few things to do first. Gritting her teeth at the pain, Tonks cast a series of levitation charms moving the Dursleys to the couch in the living room. She was about to wake them when a tapping on the window got her attention.

"Oh bloody hell." she muttered in disgust.

Opening the window the owl flew in dropping a piece of parchment in her hands.

"Wait," she said stopping the owl before it could leave, "I'll need you to take a response back."

The owl hooted in annoyance but took a perch on the back of Vernon's recliner where it waited patiently for Tonks to pen a response.

Unrolling the parchment she found exactly what she had expected, a notice from the Ministry of Magic for the illegal use of underage magic. Rolling her eyes Tonks looked around finally finding a muggle ball point pen in the mess of lumber that used to be the Dursley's coffee table. Summoning the pen, she added a note to the bottom of the letter.

_Disregard underage magic use charge. Licensed witch on premises. Additional spell work to follow.  
__Follow up with Amelia Bones._

_Auror Tonks_

After finishing her brief message, Tonks affixed her wand signature to the parchment and gave the message to the waiting owl. She watched as the owl disappeared out the window and grinned knowing the list of charms Harry was supposedly casting was continuing to grow.

Turning back to the matter at hand, Tonks waved her wand at the Dursley's casting another series of spells.

"Ennervate! Petrificus Totalus! Ennervate! Petrificus Totalus! Ennervate! Petrificus Totalus!"

After reviving Harry's relatives she quickly froze them in place. She was still in a lot of pain and didn't want to get into a physical fight right now. She watched satisfied as their terrified eyes darted all about the room finally coming to rest on the image of their nephew who was standing before them with wand in hand.

"Ok, now it's my turn to tell you how things are going to be this summer." As she finished her first sentence she noticed the fire return to Vernon's eyes. Realizing he was becoming angry she decided there was only one way to salvage the situation. Personally she was excited by the idea and only hoped Harry wouldn't mind.

"As you can see by the lack of owls showing up, I'm allowed to do magic out of school now." Her calculated lie terrified Petunia and Dudley, and it even looked like Vernon was a bit unsettled by the revelation though he was clearly still enraged by what had been done to them and by having his unnatural nephew telling him how things were going to be around his house.

"A friend of mine who's an Auror, that's a magical cop by the way, is going to be staying here with me this summer. You leave us alone and stay out of our way and we'll do the same. Mess with us and you'll find yourself in a magical court and probably the wizarding prison Azkaban."

Tonks saw the anger flare in Vernon's eyes again as she mentioned another freak would be staying in their home but watched with a satisfied smirk as all the fight drained out of him at the thought of this person being a policeman.

After walking back to the hallway, Tonks turned and released the three from the binds she had placed them in. Turning back around she then levitated Harry's trunk and Hedwig's cage before starting up the stairs. She stopped and turned to face the Dursleys when she heard Vernon speak in a defeated voice.

"When will they be coming?"

"She'll be here sometime this evening," Tonks replied.

"She?" Petunia asked in a meek voice.

Tonks nodded. "Yes Aunt Petunia, she. Her names Tonks. You met her at the platform earlier. She was the one with pink hair."

Laughing at the look of horror that graced the faces of Harry's relatives, Tonks turned and made her way upstairs to Harry's bedroom. The pain was still fairly intense and she could feel what strength she had left leaving her as she struggled to make it to the top of the staircase.

Breathing as heavily as she could with her bound ribs, Tonks paused briefly at the top of the stairs to fight of the dizziness that was threatening to take over before stumbling down the hall to a door with several locks and a cat flap on it. Entering the smallest bedroom, she dropped the levitation charm.

Knowing Hedwig would return soon, Tonks opened the window before casting a colloportus spell to seal the door to Harry's room. Being badly injured she didn't need them getting any ideas before she could return as herself. She smiled slightly as she stumbled to Harry's bed. The locking spell she had just used reminded her of Mad Eye Moody's catch phrase 'Constant Vigilance!'

Lying down on the uncomfortable mattress she let out a final groan before passing into unconsciousness.

* * *

Reaching the corner of Privet Drive, Harry said goodbye to Remus before heading to Number Four. Letting out a final sigh, Harry entered the unnaturally clean home being careful to stay as quite as he could. 

Carefully closing the door behind him, he stopped in the entryway to listen for the Dursleys. Judging by the sound of the television Vernon and probably Dudley were in the living room. As he continued to listen he heard some dishes clatter in the sink and knew his Aunt was in the kitchen.

Being sure to stay quiet, Harry made his way up the stairs carefully avoiding the squeaky step near the top. Stopping at his bedroom door he knocked softly.

"Tonks!" he whispered keeping an ear out for his relatives.

When he didn't receive an answer he tried the knob to find the door locked.

"Tonks! Tonks!" he called as he continued to knock softly.

Not sure what else to do and getting a little bit worried about what could have happened, Harry made his way back down the stairs and out the front door. After quietly closing the door behind him, he ran around to the back of the house and looked up where he found his bedroom window was open.

Staying out of sight of the kitchen window, Harry climbed a trellis that was affixed to the back of the home next to where his window was located. Peering in the open window, Harry once again called out.

"Tonks!"

Still receiving no answer, Harry climbed the rest of the way in the window landing on the floor of his room with a soft thump. As he stood up, he found his trunk and Hedwig's cage sitting on the floor in the middle of his room where Tonks had dropped them. Looking around he quickly discovered Tonks lying on his bed still wearing his image.

Harry's eyes opened wide and he gasped in shock as he looked at her and saw the bandages around her mid section and the bruises covering one side of her face.

"Oh god, Tonks," he said as he cautiously sat on the edge of the bed next to her.

Tonks stirred from her sleep as Harry sat down and opened her eyes to find his worried features looking down at her. A smile found its way on to her sore face and she could feel her heart beating a little faster as she stared into his beautiful green eyes.

"Wotcher Harry. Have fun?"

"I'm _so_ sorry Tonks. I knew something like this would happen. I should have stopped you, I'm sorry." Harry said clearly upset about what had happened to her.

"Stop it Harry, it's not your fault. It was my idea and my fault for letting my guard down around your Uncle. I knew better so there's no one to blame but me," she said laying a hand on Harry's.

Harry did not look convinced but decided to let it go for now.

Tonks relaxed her morph and her features began to return to normal. As her body began to shift she hissed in pain. "Ahh bugger." she ground out between breaths.

Harry's eyes opened wide with worry. "What? What is it?"

A red tinge found its way onto her cheeks. "Umm, well I forgot about my boobs. They're stretching the bandages."

Not thinking about what she had just said, Harry took a quick look at her chest. "Oh." Harry said blushing along with her as he turned away.

Tonks felt a flutter in her belly and smiled at him before grimacing in pain as she tried to sit up. She was quickly stopped from moving by Harry placing a worried hand on her shoulder.

"What do you need? What can I do? I'd send Hedwig to Madam Pomfrey but she's not back yet." Harry said glancing towards Hedwig's cage.

"No, not her," replied Tonks. "I think she's on vacation visiting family anyway."

Reaching towards one of the front pockets in the pants she wore she let out an involuntary grunt of pain. Harry visibly flinched and reached out to stop her hand.

"What do you need?" he asked.

Tonks sighed and let her arm relax where it was. Her body had stiffened up while she slept and she was surprised at how sore she was now.

"I have a cell phone in my pocket." she said.

Harry nodded and started to reach for it before he began to blush. "Umm, is it okay, I mean…"

Tonks grinned and barely stopped herself from laughing. "It's ok Harry."

Taking a deep breath, Harry reached in her pocket and fished out the small handheld phone. Tonks felt her breath hitch and her heart beat faster as Harry's hand slid into her pocket and down her hip. Even with the pain she was in, her body tingled at the contact. It was over quicker than she would have liked and Harry seemed to let out a breath he had been holding as he held up the phone.

"Flip it open and hold down the one key. It's programmed for a friend of mine named Jake. Tell him I was a dumbass and got hurt and to get his butt over here and fix me up." she said with a grin after the moment had passed.

Harry nodded again and held down the number one key on the small phone.

"Hello?" a man said on the other end after a few rings.

"Um, hi. My names Harry Potter."

"Oh, hey Harry." Jake said before Harry could go any further, "I've heard a lot about you, you're Tonks friend right?"

"Yes, I am. That's actually why I'm calling. She's hurt and was hoping you could come over and help her."

"That's not what I said Harry!" Tonks added to the conversation.

"What was that?" Jake asked.

"That was Tonks. She said that's not what she said. She wanted me to tell you she was a dumbass and got hurt and she wants you to get your butt over here and fix her."

Jake laughed heartily on the other end of the phone. "That sounds like Tonks alright. Where are you Harry?"

"We're in Little Whinging, Surrey at Number Four Privet Drive."

"No problem, I can be there in thirty or forty minutes. Think she'll live that long?"

"I think so." Harry said smiling. He found he already liked Jake. "Her chest is bandaged up…"

"I've got some broken ribs." Tonks interrupted.

"She says she's got some broken ribs, and her face is all bruised up."

"No problem, tell her to stop being such a wimp and suck it up. I'll be there when I can."

"Alright, thanks Jake."

"No problem, see you soon."

After hanging up the phone, Harry set it on his desk and turned back to Tonks. "He'll be here in thirty or forty minutes."

Tonks eyes narrowed. "That's not all he said, come on, I can take it," she said playfully.

Harry grinned. "He said to stop being a wimp and suck it up."

Shaking her head, Tonks let out a snort. "Bloody American."

The pair was quiet for a few minutes before Harry finally spoke up.

"What happened Tonks?"

She had been hoping they could avoid this conversation, but knew he would eventually get around to asking. Oh well, she thought, he needs to know what I told them anyway.

"Well, I got to thinking the talk we gave your Uncle at Kings Cross had worked and everything was going to be ok. I let my guard drop and when I turned around your uncle punched me. Man that guy hits hard."

Harry nodded lightly with a look on his face that was an equal mixture of sadness and anger.

Filing his look away for later Tonks continued. "Well, I went down and then he kicked me in the ribs and started telling me how he was going to move you back into the cupboard and make you do all the work and not feed you right, I finally got pissed and blasted him across the room."

Tonks was glad to see a small smile on Harry's face as he imagined his uncle flying through the air, due to magic no less.

"Then I froze all three of them and told them a few… things…"

Harry looked at her curiously. "What did you say?"

"Well for one I told them I, that is to say you, am allowed to do magic this summer."

Another grin crept onto Harry's face as he thought of the Dursleys expressions at that little revelation.

"Oh, while I'm thinking about it, you got an owl for the use of underage magic." Seeing a look of horror on Harry's face Tonks squeezed his hand in reassurance and continued. "Don't worry, I already responded and told them it was me plus your relatives were stunned at the time so they didn't see it."

Harry let out a sigh of relief at the news. "Them thinking I can do magic this summer should help a lot," he said with a grin.

Tonks started to get nervous. She was about to tell him what else she had said and hoped and prayed he wouldn't be upset about it. More than just protecting him from his relatives, she really wanted to spend some time with him this summer.

"Umm, your uncle didn't seem too impressed that you could do magic so I also might have mentioned an Auror was staying here this summer so they would leave you alone."

"You did?" Harry asked curiously. Inside he was hoping she really meant it and hadn't just said it to keep his uncle in line.

Seeing a flash of hope in Harry's eyes, Tonks quickly pushed on. "I mean if you want me to that is. I don't have to, but I think it would be fun and I'd still have to go to work a lot and could leave you alone the rest of the time if you wanted but I don't have to I mean…"

Harry grinned at the thought of having a friend to spend the summer with. Someone who didn't hate him but also didn't treat him like the much vaunted 'Boy Who Lived' all the time. Noticing Tonks seemed nervous and was beginning to ramble, he cut her off.

"That would be brilliant Tonks!"

Tonks had looked away from Harry as she began to babble but immediately looked him in the eye as she heard his response.

"Really? You'd really want me here?"

Harry nodded vigorously grinning widely all the while.

In her excitement Tonks tried to sit up to give him a hug and ended up in pain again.

"Hey, take it easy, lay down, we've got all summer to do stuff."

Tonks was smiling brightly. "I know. I'm just excited! This is going to be so much fun! If Jake would hurry up and get his ass over here and fix me that is."

Harry laughed at her cutting up of Jake. He found it amusing that she seemed to enjoy being stuck in bed about as much as he always did when he was forced to stay in the hospital wing because of one injury or another.

"I'll straighten everything out with Dumbledore and take some time off work as soon as I'm better. No worry's Harry."

"So what's with Jake? I thought he would have just popped over." Harry asked while they were waiting for the man in question to arrive.

"Well, he's not exactly a Wizard. He can sense magic and I think what magic he has helps him move quicker and improves his reflexes, but he can't cast spells or anything like that."

"Ah, that explains it. You said he's an American? How'd you meet him anyway?"

Tonks told him the story of the previous summer and her meeting with Jake. She was just finishing up when Harry's uncle began bellowing up the stairs.

"Boy! Get down here! Now!"

"Be right back, that's probably Jake now." Harry said getting up from his seat on the edge of the bed where Tonks was lying.

* * *

After collecting a few things, Jake locked his flat and went downstairs to where his truck was parked. A minute later he was wheeling out of the parking lot on his way to Little Winging. 

Jake wore a grin on his face as he drove along thinking about the meeting he was about to have. A meeting he had been looking forward to for a long time. 'I finally get to meet the famous Harry Potter.' he thought, 'I've definitely been looking forward to this. You'd think he was some sort of Greek God the way Tonks talks about him. It'll be nice to finally have some ammunition to return fire with.'

Laughing to himself, Jake finally found Privet Drive and pulled to a stop next to the curb in front of Number Four. Picking up a small box from the seat beside him, Jake stepped out of the truck, walked up to the front door and rang the bell. A minute later the door was answered by a very large mass of blubber.

"Yes?" Vernon said as he took in the tattooed and scarred man with distaste.

"Mr. Dursley?" Jake asked. Receiving a nod in response he continued. "I'm Jake Trapp. I'm looking for Harry Potter."

Vernon's eye's opened wide and he took a step back from the door.

"Are you one of them?" he asked looking past Jake to see if the neighbors had noticed the visitor.

Jake was confused at the reference and looked at Vernon curiously. "One of who?"

Not knowing for sure if Jake was magical or not and not wanting to accidentally mention his nephew's abnormality to a normal person, Vernon was at a loss as to how to answer. Finally he settled on summoning Harry to deal with the odd and dangerous looking man.

"Boy! Get down here! Now!" Vernon bellowed up the staircase.

A minute later the sound of a door opening and closing was heard upstairs and Harry appeared descending the staircase towards them.

Jake looked up at Harry as he came down the stairs and was in awe of the power he felt in him. Tonks was the most powerful magical being he had been around being far more powerful than any of the many witch's and wizards he had come across, but the boy walking down the steps towards him projected considerably more power than her. Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he held out a hand to greet the young man before him.

"Harry?" he asked as the raven haired man returned his shake and gave him a nod. "Nice to meet you Harry, Jake Trapp."

"Nice to meet you as well Mr. Trapp."

"Naw, just Jake." he returned with a smile. "You're gonna make me feel old if you call me that."

Harry smiled widely at Jake.

"So, where's the gimp?" Jake asked with a mischievous grin.

Harry let out a snicker and gestured for Jake to follow him up the stairs. "Come on in, she's upstairs in my room."

Ignoring the looks they were receiving from Vernon, Harry and Jake climbed the stairs and entered Harry's room where Tonks was waiting for them.

"About bloody time you got here Jake." she said as they entered the room.

"Hey, if you're gonna be like that you can kiss my ass. Harry and I'll go hit the pubs and you can just lie where you are and suffer."

Tonks let out a groan of frustration and Harry had to cover up his mouth when he let out a snicker at their banter making him the recipient of a glare from Tonks.

"Don't you start too Harry," pleaded Tonks.

Harry couldn't help but laugh some more.

"Arghhh, I just know I'm going to regret introducing you two," she said as she looked back up at the ceiling and pinched the bridge of her nose.

Getting his laughter under control, Jake stepped forward and began looking at her injuries. "So, what happened?"

Tonks groaned to herself knowing that Jake was going to give her no end of grief over this. "I took Harry's place for a bit and wasn't paying enough attention. His uncle blindsided me."

"You got beat up by a fat muggle?" Jake asked.

Tonks let out an agitated sigh and didn't answer him.

"So what all did he do to you?"

"He punched me in the face and kicked me in the ribs while I was down."

Jake glanced at Harry and shot him a quick wink. "Oh well, doesn't surprise me really. I mean you do fight like a girl."

Harry had to cover his mouth again as a snort of laughter escaped him. Tonks just growled.

"Take that back Trapp or I'll show you just how well this girl can fight."

Jake looked thoughtful for a minute before responding. "Ok, you're on." Turning towards Harry he continued. "Hey Harry, I'm gonna fight a girl. You got a mud pit and some bikini's around here we could use?"

Rolling in laughter Harry had completely given up trying to conceal his mirth. Jake was laughing along with him but had to duck to avoid a blue beam of light. Swinging his hand upwards, he deftly took Tonks wand away from her.

"Now, now, play nice," he said as if scolding a small child.

Tonks pouted but it was clear she was fighting a smile that was threatening to emerge.

Harry who had been laughing while watching the exchange was now sitting quietly looking intently at Jake.

"How'd you dodge that? She's right next to you."

Jake grinned and looked at the wand he now held. "Well, I can sense magic. I could feel the spell forming in her wand before the magic even left. Makes it easy to dodge when you know its coming."

"Cool," Harry replied.

"Enough already. Fix me!" Tonks said interrupting their conversation.

A chuckling Jake turned back towards Tonks. "Alright, alright, keep your panties on."

After watching Tonks roll her eyes at him, Jake picked up the small box he had brought with him. It was a thin wooden box that looked like it was big enough to hold four or five cigars. On one end there was a small hole in the center that was roughly the size of a Knut. Harry watched curiously as Jake held the box up in front of him.

Rapping the side of the box with his knuckles, Jake spoke. "Pain Reliever."

A moment later a test tube slid part way out of the box through the small hole in the end. Harry watched in amazement as Jake pulled the tube the rest of the way out until he held a test tube that was about two times longer than a normal one. After removing the cork from the end, Jake handed the potion to Tonks who quickly downed it.

"Ahhh, that's better. Bout time you git." she muttered handing back the empty tube.

Jake stuck the empty test tube back in the hole it came from and waited for it to disappear before rapping on the side of the box again. "Bruise vanisher."

Once again a tube appeared to slide out of the hole in the end of the box and Jake removed it. This time it appeared to be a normally sized test tube. Removing the cork, he passed it to Tonks who downed it quickly though a grimace passed across her face at the taste of the concoction.

Returning the test tube to the box, Jake rapped on it a third time. "Small Skele-Gro."

Harry couldn't help but grimace at the thought of what Tonks was about to drink and looked at her sympathetically. He noticed the bruises on her face were already starting to fade.

Pinching her nose, Tonks quickly downed the final potion, thankful that at least it was only a small dose, a test tube roughly half the size of a normal one. As she broke into a coughing fit she was glad they had started with the pain relieving potion rather than this one.

"That's good stuff isn't it? Want some more?" Jake asked innocently.

The smack he received to his shoulder answered his question.

"I've never seen anything like that. What is it?" Harry asked as he eyed the box Jake was holding.

Tonks grinned proudly. "Jake and I came up with that. Set it on the floor and tap it three times with your wand."

Jake handed the box to Harry who did as he was told. On the third tap, the box shuddered and grew to the size of Harry's school trunk.

"Now, tap it once more."

Harry nodded and tapped it again. A small click sounded within the box and the top popped open. Lifting the lid the rest of the way up Harry found it was filled with hundreds of vials.

"It holds potions." Tonks said, "Those test tubes are special, they adjust their size to hold however much potion you put in them so you can get the dosage right. The whole things spelled so you can get whatever potion you want with a verbal command and they're protected. We've got mostly healing potions in it, but there's also a few others like polyjuice and veritaserum."

"This is amazing," Harry said as he looked through the various vials.

Tonks smiled at his praise. "We're still testing it, but we thought it would be a good tool for Aurors to carry in the field."

Finishing looking through the box, Harry closed the lid hearing it lock with a soft click. With three more taps of his wand, the box shrunk back to its original size and Harry handed it to Jake who tossed it to Tonks.

"Here, you may need some more pain reliever later."

"Thanks Jake, I appreciate it."

"No problem. Harry, make sure she stays in bed for a day or so while her ribs knit."

Tonks groaned.

"I'm serious, do what ever you have to do to keep her down, take her clothes, crawl in there and snuggle with her, whatever."

"Jake!" Tonks roared. She knew he was pushing her buttons because he knew how she felt about Harry. Feeling a blush rising on her cheeks she risked a look at Harry to find he was blushing as well and trying hard to not look at her.

When he finally stopped laughing at the blushing pair, Jake stood to leave. "Well, I'll leave you both to it. Harry, it was nice to finally meet you."

"It was nice to meet you too Jake, thanks for helping Tonks."

"No problem, I'm used too it." Jake said with a grin directed at the witch on the bed who let out a groan.

"Bugger off Jake."

Jake couldn't help but let out a chuckle. "I love you to Nymphadora."

Ducking out of the way of a jet of yellow light, Jake was laughing as he left the room.

"Well," Harry said after an awkward silence, "that was interesting."

Tonks smiled. "Yup, if nothing else, he is that."

With the tension lifted, Harry and Tonks chatted for a little while longer before Tonks began yawning.

"I'll just sleep on the floor." Harry said as he moved his trunk to the foot of the bed and placed Hedwig's cage on his dresser.

"No Harry, this is your bed, I'll move."

Stepping back towards his bed, Harry placed a hand on her shoulder and pushed her back down. "No, Jake said I had to keep you in bed until tomorrow."

"Oh, right, and how are you going to do that?" she asked with a smirk.

Harry blushed brightly and began to stammer.

"Just kidding Harry," Tonks finally said letting him off the hook, not that she would have minded either of Jake's solutions. Picking up her wand from the nightstand where she had placed it, Tonks transfigured Harry's desk chair into a mattress and conjured a squishy purple sleeping bag.

"Thanks Tonks."

"No problem Harry."

With another wave of her wand, she transfigured her pants into pajama bottoms and vanished her shirt. The bandages covered her chest but Harry's breath still caught in his chest at the sight and he began blushing again.

Tonks didn't realize what she'd done until she looked up to see Harry's red face looking down at her. She felt the familiar fluttering feeling in her stomach again as Harry looked at her. After another uncomfortable silence, Harry took a deep breath and stepped forward to help her get under the covers.

With Tonks tucked in, Harry removed a pair of pajamas from his trunk and went to the bathroom to change. Returning to his room, he turned off the lights and climbed into his sleeping bag.

"Night Tonks… I'm glad you're here."

"Night Harry… Me too."

Though neither could see the other, they both wore large smiles as they faded off to sleep.


	4. Tonks

**Chapter 4 - Tonks**

Tonks slowly woke as the morning light entered Harry's bedroom window rousing her from her nights rest. She had gotten up once in the middle of the night when the pain relief potion had started to wear off and the knitting of her ribs had woken her up. After taking another dose she had drifted back to sleep with the same grin on her face she had fallen asleep with the first time, happy to be where she was.

She was lying on her back as she opened her eyes, giving them a minute to adjust to the soft light of the room before she pushed the sheet that was covering her down and tested her ribs. Much to her satisfaction, they seemed completely healed.

Sitting up, Tonks picked up her wand which she had placed on the nightstand next to the bed before taking a quick look at Harry who she found was still asleep. A wave of her wand later her bandages were gone and she was able to do a more thorough inspection of her side. Finding no problems she looked around for her shirt before remembering she had vanished it from under her bandages the night before.

Letting out a groan, Tonks pulled the bed sheet up around her chest and lay on her side to wait for Harry to get up. She couldn't help but smile softly as she watched him sleep. He looked so peaceful, something she hadn't seen very often since she had known him and it warmed her heart to see it.

As she continued to watch him sleep, she began to daydream about the many possible outcomes of the summer ahead. So lost in her thoughts she was that she failed to notice Harry wake.

"Morning Tonks."

Tonks jumped in surprise as she realized Harry's brilliant green eyes were staring back at her. Getting her breathing back under control, she smiled brightly.

"Morning Harry."

"How are you feeling this morning?"

She knew he was very caring and would have been worried about anyone in her place, but it still made her happy to know he was worried about her. Grinning internally at Harry's concern she answered his question.

"I'm fine," she said stretching her arms above her head. As the sheet started to slide down she let out a little 'eep' and quickly pulled it back up.

"Umm," she said blushing a little, "I could use a shirt if you wouldn't mind lending me one. I took off my bandages earlier and don't have anything to wear."

Feeling more comfortable around his new roommate all the time, Harry couldn't help but tease her a little since she had been teasing him the night before.

"I don't know, I mean Jake did tell me to take your clothes to keep you in bed."

Tonks internal grin got even bigger as Harry began flirting with her. She didn't think he knew he was actually flirting, but she loved it just the same.

"Ok," she said sitting up but being careful to keep the sheet wrapped around her body, "no problem, but I'm still getting up… unless of course you want to, what was the other thing he said?... oh yeah, snuggle." she finished with a suggestive wink.

Harry blushed and knew he was outmatched. Climbing out of his sleeping bag, he opened his trunk and fished out one of his white school shirts for her to wear. After giving her the shirt, Harry pulled out a change of clothes for himself and went to use the bathroom down the hall.

After taking a shower and dressing for the day, Harry returned to his room and knocked lightly on the door not wanting to walk in unannounced in case Tonks was still changing.

"Come on in Harry."

Entering the small room, Harry found Tonks sitting on the edge of his bed waiting for him. She had changed her pajama bottoms back into jeans and put on the shirt Harry had given her. It looked like the shirt was a little bit big for her so she had rolled the sleeves up until they only came down to mid forearm.

"I called Jake after you left. He should be over anytime to hang out with you while I go take care of a few things."

Harry frowned. "I don't need a sitter."

"I know you don't, I'm just a little nervous about your uncle after what happened yesterday."

"I can handle them. I have been for the last fifteen years."

His tone was harsh and Tonks knew he was getting upset with her, thinking that she believed he needed a minder.

"Harry," she began softly in a conciliatory voice, "I know you can look out for yourself, I think you've made that obvious over the years, it's not you at all, it's me." Seeing him begin to calm down she pushed forward, "I feel like this is all my fault. I always seem to mess everything up and I think I've messed this up as well."

Tonks was still sitting on the bed with her hands clasped in her lap as she looked down. Feeling bad about getting angry with her, Harry stepped forward and sat on the bed next to her.

"Sorry. I shouldn't have gotten mad, you're just trying to help. It's just that Dumbledore and the Order have to watch and control everything I do and it just felt for a minute like that's what you were doing, why you're really staying here."

Shock and a bit of horror appeared on Tonks face as she listened to Harry's sad voice. "Harry, no!" she said firmly. "I'm _not_ here because of them. I really want to be here. I haven't even talked to them yet. I didn't mean it like that at all."

Harry seemed to cheer up a bit and even smiled at her admission.

"As a matter of fact one of the things I need to go do is tell Dumbledore that I'm staying here." Tonks saw another unhappy look flash across Harry's face and held up her hands. "Now wait a minute, I'm not telling him so he knows what you're doing, I'm telling him because he watches the wards around here and will know I'm hanging around. Best to be upfront with this and avoid an inquisition by him later in front of the whole Order."

"That makes sense." Harry said though he was clearly upset with Dumbledore for some reason. Once again filing the information away for later, Tonks decided to change the subject.

"Besides, Jake's been wanting to get to know you for awhile anyway."

Harry looked up to find Tonks smiling at him. "Oh? Why's that?"

Tonks looked away as she realized she had just cornered herself. "Uh, well, I told him a bit about you and he thought you sounded pretty cool."

She breathed a sigh of relief as there was a knock at Harry's door and a male voice yelled from the other side.

"Come on guys, quit smooching and answer the door!"

Harry and Tonks snickered at each other and rolled their eyes. Getting up from the bed, Tonks threw the door open and crossed her arms glaring at Jake who was grinning mischievously.

"Sorry, did I interrupt something?" Jake said wagging his eyebrows.

"Shut it Trapp." Tonks said shaking her fist at her amused friend.

"Hey Harry." Jake said with a wave.

"Morning Jake."

"You guys have breakfast yet?"

"No, but I need to get going. Why don't you and Harry go grab a bite and I'll catch up with you both this afternoon."

"Fair enough," replied Jake.

The three made their way downstairs and left through the front door. After saying their goodbyes, Tonks went to the back yard where she would be out of sight to apparate home to her flat.

"Well, just the boys then. I saw a place on the way over that looked like it might be worth a try. What do you think?"

Harry smiled, he was looking forward to getting to know Tonks friend. "Works for me."

"Cool. Hop in." Jake said indicating a four wheel drive SUV parked at the curb.

* * *

Tonks appeared in a messy flat on the edge of London and immediately began looking around for a clean change of clothes. After finding the necessary items, she jumped in the shower to get ready for her day. 

Cleaned and dressed she grabbed a doughnut from a box on the kitchen counter and made a glass of juice. Excited about the way the summer was starting out, it didn't take her long to finish her breakfast. After a quick look around to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything, Tonks apparated to Hogsmeade and began the long walk to Hogwarts.

She found the front doors open as she approached the castle and walked inside to find a grumbling Argus Filch cleaning an unidentifiable substance from the floor while muttering about Peeves and the many things he wanted to do to the exasperating poltergeist.

"Aye, what do you want?" Filch growled as Tonks passed by.

"Just here to see Professor Dumbledore." she replied with a fake smile and a wave.

Tonks was pretty sure he mumbled some sort of insult about her pink hair but let it slide knowing it was just the cranky old man's way. Besides, he was a bloody git.

Walking quickly through the halls it wasn't long before she found herself face to face with the stone gargoyle guarding the revolving stairway to Dumbledore's office. Realizing she didn't know the password, Tonks walked over to a nearby portrait of a young boy and girl.

"Hey there, could you tell Professor Dumbledore I'm here?"

"Sure we could." the boy answered cheerfully.

After a few seconds Tonks crossed her arms and frowned as the young boy made no effort to do as she had asked. 'Man I hate this friggin portrait,' Tonks thought.

"Well?" she asked.

"Well what?"

"You said you were going to tell the professor I was here."

"No I didn't."

"You did."

"No, I said we could, I never said I was going to."

"Arghhh." Tonks growled in frustration.

Seeing the young witch dangerously close to cursing her brother, the young girl in the portrait slipped away to let the professor know Tonks was there. A moment later just as Tonks was drawing her wand, the Gargoyle leapt aside and the stairs started moving.

With a final glare at the boy in the painting, Tonks replaced her wand in its holster and climbed the stairs to Dumbledore's office. She was about to knock on the large wooden door when it swung open on its own.

"Ah, Nymphadora. Please come in and have a seat." Dumbledore said gesturing to the chairs in front of his desk.

Tonks winced at the use of her given name but let it pass. "Wotcher Professor."

"Lemon drop?" he asked with twinkling blue eyes as he held up a small glass dish filled with the offered sweets.

"No thanks." Tonks declined politely.

Placing the dish back on his desk, Dumbledore popped one of the sweets in his mouth before returning his gaze to the young woman sitting before him.

"So what brings you to Hogwarts Nymphadora?"

Groaning internally, she decided to just get to the point. "I had a bit of trouble with the  
Dursleys yesterday and wanted to let you know I'll be staying there with Harry this summer."

The twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes dimmed considerably and his face became much more serious. "What happened?"

Taking a deep breath, Tonks told him the story of what had happened the day before. She was sure to detail the injuries she had received but skipped over the part about the Dursleys being led to believe Harry could use magic.

"Where is Harry now Ms. Tonks?"

"He's with a friend of mine, Jake Trapp," she replied glad he had skipped her first name this time round.

"I don't believe I've had the pleasure."

"I met him a year ago. He saved my life when me and my partner ran in to a couple Death Eaters outside the Leaky Cauldron last summer."

Dumbledore nodded. "I remember the incident well. And you trust Mr. Trapp?"

"Completely."

Tonks began to get nervous as Dumbledore gave her a long appraising stare.

"Thank you for offering to take care of our Mr. Potter this summer. If you need any help with the Dursleys, please let me know."

Dumbledore was known for maintaining an even temper, but the tone of his voice made it clear he was not happy with Vernon Dursley.

"I would also like very much to meet Mr. Trapp if he is to be spending much time around Harry this summer."

Tonks was surprised at his request and the words Harry had spoken to her earlier when he thought she was to be his minder for the summer echoed in her head.

"Not to be rude, but I don't see how Harry making a new friend is any of your business sir."

Dumbledore sighed. "Mr. Potter is very important to our current struggle. Far more important than anyone realizes. It is critical that he is well protected and as part of that I feel it's prudent that I monitor the individuals he interacts with to ensure that he is safe and not being guided down the wrong path."

Tonks was beginning to get angry as she listened to the wizard's justifications for controlling Harry's life.

"So you're saying it's up to you whether or not Harry can be friends with someone?" Tonks said, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"Not at all Ms. Tonks, I merely want to make sure that Harry is safe."

"And if you don't like or approve of Jake?" she asked pressing the issue.

Dumbledore let out another sigh, this was not going well at all. "Then I'm afraid for Mr. Potter's safety I would insist Mr. Trapp stay away from him and if necessary I would adjust the wards to ensure my recommendation is followed."

Tonks mouth fell open in shock at what she had just heard Dumbledore say.

"I see," she said standing up from her seat. After sharing a long look with the leader of the light, Tonks turned and made her way to the door.

"You're making a mistake," she said turning her head to face the old wizard as she left. "He feels like a prisoner in that house. If he can't even choose who his friends are then what's left? Why fight at all?"

Without waiting for a response Tonks turned and left the office. As she walked down the stairs and through the many halls, her mind was working furiously thinking about everything that had been happening lately.

Tonks knew a lot about Harry's situation, probably more than most members of the Order, but if what Dumbledore had said was true then Harry was far more important to the war with Voldemort than she or anybody else for that matter realized.

She also thought about what Dumbledore had said about screening Harry's friends. When Harry had made the comments about being watched and controlled earlier that morning he had said it in such a resolved way that she had let it pass concentrating instead on making sure he wasn't angry with her.

It was a long walk back to Hogsmeade where she would be able to apparate to her next stop for the day, the Ministry of Magic. She spent the whole time deep in thought about what she had learned and trying to figure out what she needed to do. By the time she reached the gates to the schools grounds, she had come up with several ideas.

With a last look back at the school, Tonks apparated away.

* * *

Jake and Harry chatted amicably as they drove down various streets and roads, finally pulling into the parking lot of the small restaurant he had seen on the way over. 

"Here we are," said Jake as he shifted the transmission into park. "You ever eaten here?"

"Nope," Harry replied looking out the front windshield of the truck. "I haven't been much of anywhere," he admitted softly.

Jake was curious about the boy's comment but let it slide. "Well, this should be an adventure then, could be some nasty slop."

Harry laughed and climbed out of the truck. The restaurant was a small diner that greatly resembled a train car or mobile home. Inside, a counter ran the length of the restaurant with a wide assortment of grills, stoves, sinks and every other kind of equipment needed to run an eating establishment lined up along the wall on the other side.

Following Jakes lead, Harry walked to one end of the room and slid into a booth opposite him. As they sat down, Jake grabbed a couple of menus from behind the condiments and passed one to Harry.

"It's on me Harry, whatever you want."

Harry nodded shyly, not used to having people offer to buy him things.

Several minutes later the waitress finally made an appearance. "Good morning gentlemen. What can I get you today?"

Jake looked up grinning widely at the pretty young woman.

"Well good morning to you too darling. I think I'd like a cup of coffee, black… and how about this lumberjack special, over easy."

"And you sir?" she said turning to Harry.

"Umm, orange juice and some eggs please."

"What?" Jake said with his usual grin and humor, "That ain't gonna cut it, you're a growing boy! Make that another lumberjack special sweetheart."

The waitress nodded at Jake and turned back to Harry. "How would you like your eggs?"

"Scrambled. Thanks."

The waitress nodded and went off to fill their order.

"Thanks Jake."

"My pleasure Harry, besides, I think Tonks would kill me if I didn't feed you right."

Harry smiled shyly not quite knowing how to respond. Sensing the awkwardness, Jake changed the subject.

"So, what do you think of the waitress?"

"What?" Harry asked shocked at the abrupt change of topics.

"The blond honey that's getting your food, not bad eh?" Jake said wagging his eyebrows.

Harry couldn't help but grin and let out a chuckle. "Yeah, not bad."

Completely unable to help himself Jake continued forward. "Yeah, but not as good looking as Tonks huh?"

Jake smiled internally as he watched Harry wander off to dreamland for a moment before snapping back to reality. "Uh, well, I mean yeah I guess so, yeah."

'Well, well, well, isn't this interesting.' thought Jake. Harry was by far the biggest topic of conversation when he was hanging out with Tonks and while she had never come right out and said how she felt, Jake would have had to be an idiot not to have figured it out. He was thrilled for Tonks to find out Harry might like her as well.

"Come on Harry, she's not bad to look at. Not someone you'd kick out of bed is she?"

Harry blushed bright read and his eyes opened wide at Jake's comment. Seeing the look, Jake was only able to hold in his laughter for a few seconds before it spilled out.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. All kidding aside, you should go for it."

"I, I couldn't. I mean she's my friend and is older than me and I'm just a skinny little kid to her."

Jake stopped laughing and took a good look at the young man sitting before him. He saw a man that had precious little good in his life and if he judged him correctly, a lack of good role models to learn from and look up to.

"Well, she's your friend right now, and that's always a good place to start. She's what, about six years older than you?"

Harry nodded.

"That's nothing Harry. I know it seems like a lot right now cause you're young, but six years is a drop in the bucket. Think of it this way, wizards live around a hundred and fifty years or more right? What's six years when compared to that?"

He could see Harry was listening to him but still uncomfortable with the situation. The conversation stopped for a minute while the waitress and another gentleman placed an unbelievable amount of food on the table.

"Wow," Harry said as he surveyed their meal.

"Damn straight!" Jake added as he rubbed his hands together and grinned widely.

The pair took a minute to prepare their food before Jake continued. "She's told me quite a bit about you Harry and I can promise you she doesn't see you as a little kid. As far as being skinny goes, we just need to keep stuffing you to the top of your neck like this and do some working out. If your," Jake looked around to make sure no one was listening and spoke more quietly, "magic is anything like mine, it'll help your body out and we'll have you covered with muscles in no time."

"You'd really help me with that?" Harry asked looking hopeful.

"Of course."

Harry looked nervous as he posed his next question. "Tonks told me about how you two met. Do you think, I mean could you teach me to fight too?"

Jake gave him another appraising look. "I suppose I could, why do you want to learn?"

"I can't really talk about it here, but I do need to learn. I was planning on asking Tonks to help me learn magical dueling as well."

Nodding in understanding, Jake took another large bite of his breakfast before responding. "Why don't we discuss this later with Tonks then."

At Harry's agreement the conversation turned to lighter topics while the pair ate their enormous meal.

* * *

Tonks appeared in the atrium at the Ministry of Magic with a soft pop. It wasn't quite lunchtime yet and with the exception of a few random people coming and going from the fireplaces lined up along the walls, there wasn't much happening in the large hall. Walking from the apparition point where she had arrived to the guard on duty, Tonks flashed her badge confirming her identity as an auror. With a single nod the man on duty waved her through. 

Passing through the golden gates next to the security desk, Tonks stepped into an available lift. She was about to press the button for level two where Auror Headquarters was located when she had another thought. Changing her mind, she pressed the button for level three where the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes was.

Stepping out of the lift she waved to a friend who was walking past and headed down the hall. Approaching the end of the long corridor, Tonks pushed open a large set of wooden doors and entered the Ministry Research Library.

"Hey Tonks." the guard at the door greeted.

"Wotcher Arland." she said handing the wizard her badge.

"Haven't seen you down here in awhile. What you been up too?" Christopher Arland asked as he scanned in her badge.

"Oh, the usual, not much. How's the wife and kid?"

"Not bad, little Beth just got her second tooth," he said proudly as he handed back her badge.

"Cool. Tell Beth and Beth I said hi." she said with a wave as she headed into the stacks.

It took her a fair amount of time to locate the books she was looking for but she finally found them in a dusty, unused section in a back corner. Taking a quick look around to make sure no one was looking, Tonks drew her wand and began undoing the enchantments on the books. Not wanting anyone to know what she was researching, she decided the best course of action was to borrow the books without anyone knowing.

Unfortunately the Ministry archivists weren't very trusting and there were several spells placed on each book to ensure they didn't leave the Ministry without proper authorization. Fortunately Tonks had briefly dated a man who worked in that area and had been shown the way around the charms. It took about ten minutes to complete her work, but finally the books were freed of the charms and Tonks was able to shrink and pocket the three books.

Scanning the shelves for something appropriate, Tonks grabbed a book on counter curses as she returned to the desk by the front door. Handing the woman behind the desk the book and her badge she waited patiently while the Librarian checked the book out to her. A minute later Tonks was leaving the library, waving to the guard as she passed back out through the doors. Climbing into an available lift, Tonks pressed the button for her initial destination, Auror Headquarters.

Tonks stepped out of the elevator and into a much busier area of the Ministry. People bustled around in every direction performing various tasks and duties, some escorting prisoners and others looking lost, unsure where they needed to go. Entering her area of the large offices, Tonks passed by many cubicles covered with pictures of wanted criminals, family members and favorite Quidditch teams.

Finally arriving at her cube, Tonks tossed the book she had checked out of the library on her desk and sat down. She grinned at the picture of Harry on the wall in front of her that was smiling and waving for a few minutes before she began sorting through the pile of folders that had appeared on her desk since the last time she had been in the office.

"Sup Tonks." Kingsley Shacklebolt said as he appeared in the doorway to her cube a few minutes later.

"Wotcher Kingsley." Tonks greeted the bald Auror before returning to her work. "What can I do for you?"

"Bones wants to see you. I think she's wondering where you've been," he said seriously.

Tonks dropped the folder she'd been looking at on her desk and rubbed her eyes. "Great." she muttered.

Standing up she tripped on the leg of her chair ending up on the floor in a tangle of limbs. "Bugger. This day just keeps getting better and better."

Using her desk to pull herself up, Tonks glared at a chuckling Kingsley before shoving him out of the way and heading to the Head of Magical Law Enforcements Office. Reaching the outer doors, she took a deep breath and entered the room.

"I'm Auror Tonks. I'm here to see Madam Bones." Tonks said to the receptionist.

"Go on in, she's expecting you."

Tonks took another breath and entered her boss's office. The room was large but surprisingly simple. A conference table filled one end of the room while the other held several chairs and a large mahogany desk behind which sat the object of her search, Amelia Bones.

"Director Bones." Tonks said formally as she stepped up to the desk.

Amelia looked up and motioned to a seat in front of her desk, she did not look happy. "Take a seat Auror."

Tonks complied with out a word wondering what this was about.

Picking up a sheet from the file she was currently looking over Amelia began. "I'd like to start by saying that I am aware you are part of a vigilante organization run by Albus Dumbledore." Glancing over the top of the sheet she was reading she noticed Tonks did not appear shocked that she knew of the Order.

"I tolerate the group because of Albus Dumbledore and because to my knowledge the group is not involved in any illegal activities. To date I have tolerated your involvement with the group in spite of the fact that it has repeatedly affected your ability to adhere to your scheduled shifts and on occasion to perform the duties that are expected of you. Unfortunately as I look through your file I am forced to admit that regardless of and in all probability because of the activities you indulge in outside of this office, your performance in your current position is slipping and you are in danger of being put on probation."

Tonks was shocked at what she was hearing. She had expected this to be about the magic she used at the Dursley's home.

"With this in mind, I would like to know about the charge of underage magic use sent to one Harry Potter and why you were at his residence. I would also like to know why you were unable to report to work on time this morning. Be advised Auror Tonks that if I don't like your answers I will be forced to take action in this matter to prevent future occurrences."

Tonks swallowed heavily before beginning her tale of the last day's events. After covering all of the pertinent facts she waited for Amelia's response.

Amelia looked thoughtful for several minutes before she began. "Based on what you've told me, I'm inclined to dismiss the underage use of magic charge against Mr. Potter."

Letting out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, Tonks relaxed slightly and waited for the rest.

"Has Harry Potter been abused by his relatives in the past?"

"I can't say for sure Madam, not to my knowledge."

After making a quick addition to her notes Amelia continued. "Are you planning on pressing charges against Vernon Dursley for assault on a law enforcement official?"

"No Ma'am."

Amelia nodded and added a few more lines to her notes. After reading over them again she laid the papers down on Tonks folder and entwined her fingers as she looked across the desk at Tonks.

"Unfortunately, I find that your activities outside of this office are having a serious and detrimental impact on your duties. I have no choice but to place you on three months administrative probation at this time."

Tonks mouth fell open and her heart clenched. Administrative probation meant a desk job pushing paperwork. She had enough problems as it was dealing with the other Aurors. Being a clumsy metamorphmagus and a woman meant they didn't give her much slack, this would make them unbearable. Unfortunately Amelia wasn't finished.

"I have also read many things into the story you have just told me. Is it your intention to live with Mr. Potter, an underage wizard I might add, for the duration of his summer holidays?"

Almost to the point of hyperventilation, Tonks was barely able to answer. "Yes."

"And what is your relationship with Mr. Potter?"

Tonks mind was frozen. Try as she might, she was completely unable to form an answer.

After a very long minute Amelia took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Disregard that last question. Frankly, I don't want to know the answer."

Tonks was nearly in tears as Madam Bones sat back in her chair.

"Auror Tonks, your living with an underage wizard who is not your brother or any other relation to you is unacceptable. Being an Auror is an important job that brings with it duties and responsibilities that demand, that require a certain amount of professionalism and decorum be maintained at all times. Your living with a male underage wizard regardless of whether or not it is innocent reflects badly on our profession and this department and will not be tolerated."

The brief silence that settled between them was unbearable to the young Auror.

"I ask again Auror Tonks, what are your intentions concerning your living arrangements this summer?"

A single tear made its way down her cheek as she stood. Her hand shook as she held her badge, looking at it one last time before laying it on Amelia's desk.

"The names just Tonks ma'am. I'm sorry."

Without another word, Tonks left the office to collect her things.

* * *

"Hey Tonks." Kingsley said somberly as he entered her cube to find her placing her things in a small box. 

"Hey." Tonks replied looking up briefly from her work. "I take it you're here to escort me from the building."

Kingsley nodded. "Sorry."

Silence reigned for several minutes while Tonks continued to pack.

"Maybe we could go talk to Bones or maybe Dumbledore could help." Kingsley tried.

Tonks just shook her head. "Thanks Kingsley but no. I wasn't sacked, I quit."

Getting up from her seat, Tonks shrank the box she had just finished filling with all of her things before placing it carefully in her pocket.

"Well, that's it," she said looking up at her friend.

"Alright then."

The pair was leaving the office when a large man named Burt Freedans walked up with a grin on his face and a glint in his eye. He had always had it in for Tonks ever since she had turned down his advances causing him to lose a bet he'd had with some of his other Auror friends.

"Always new you'd wash out you worthless bi…"

His words were cut short when Kingsley's fist flew fast and hard into his face, dropping him to the ground like a sack of stones. A moment later Kingsley was standing over the downed Auror with his wand pointing at the man's face.

"One more word Freedans, just one more and your own mother won't be able to recognize you," he said fiercely. "She's the best damn Auror I've _ever_ had the pleasure of working with. You'd be lucky to be half the Auror she is, which you're not."

Tonks was touched by her friend's words and placed a hand on Kingsley's arm drawing his attention away from Burt and forcing him to lower his wand. "It's ok Kingsley. He's not worth it."

Their eyes stayed connected for several long seconds before Kingsley nodded and replaced his wand in its holster. With a final look down at Burt, Kingsley spit on the man and let Tonks lead him out of the office.

They walked in silence to the lifts not feeling the need to talk. After a quite ride to the Atrium, Kingsley escorted Tonks to the apparition point.

"Good luck Tonks, if you need anything, anything at all, let me know."

Tonks shook his hand and stepped onto the apparition point. Turning around she saw Kingsley walking away. "Kingsley!"

Stopping where he was, Kingsley looked back over his shoulder.

"Thanks." Tonks said quietly.

With a final nod, Kingsley continued on his way and Tonks apparated out of the Ministry.

* * *

Jake stepped out of the restaurant and stopped to take a look around at the day ahead. It was warm and sunny and looked like it was going to be a good one. Patting his stomach with both hands, he let out an impressive belch. Looking to his left he found Harry grinning and gave him a little nod. After a brief look of concentration Harry let out a burp of his own. Though not as impressive as Jake's, it had them both laughing like idiots. 

"At a boy Harry, nice one!"

Harry couldn't help but let out another chuckle.

Pulling his keys out of his pocket, Jake looked at them a second before tossing them to Harry. "Why don't you drive back, I drove here."

"Uh, I don't know how to drive." Harry said trying to hand the keys back.

"Really? Huh. Well I guess it's about time you learned then." Stepping around the stunned teen, Jake got in the passengers side of the truck.

It took a minute but Harry finally realized this was for real, after which he excitedly climbed into the driver's seat.

"Alright Harry, first scoot the seat up so you can reach the pedals comfortably. Good. Now, this is an automatic so you shouldn't have too many problems. The brakes on the left, gas is on the right."

Jake enjoyed watching Harry's enthusiasm and excitement as he adjusted everything and checked out the pedals as he told him about them. He would freely admit to anyone that asked that he was having a great time with Harry and even wondered if this is what it would have been like to have a son. Seeing Harry looking up at him he shook himself out of his wonderings and continued.

"Alright, start her up. That's it. Just enough to start the engine otherwise you'll grind the starter gear on the flywheel."

Harry had no idea what Jake was talking about as far as gears and flywheels were concerned but he was thrilled about being taught how to drive.

"Now, press down on the brake and shift it into reverse. Good. Check for traffic. Clear? Alright then ease up slowly on the brake and let the truck roll back. Turn the wheel a little, watch the front, you don't want to swing it into one of the other parked cars. Nice job Harry."

Harry was grinning from ear to ear as he finished backing the SUV out of the parking space. Following Jakes instructions, he then shifted it into drive and let off the brake again easing the truck towards the exit of the parking lot.

"Well done Harry. I don't see any cars coming so let off the brake and give it a little gas as you turn onto the road."

Having a pretty good idea of what was about to happen, Jake sat back and held on. He was not disappointed.

Harry looked for cars and seeing the coast was clear did as he was told and let off the brake. Moving his foot to the gas he pressed the pedal down.

Screeeeeech… With a spin of the tires, the pair set off on a wild ride down the road.

"Sorry," Harry said as he got the vehicle under control.

When he was finally able to stop laughing Jake looked over at a beaming Harry. "No problem, I figured that'd happen the first time or two." As Harry slowed down to turn Jake spoke up again. "Naw, don't turn here, go on down."

"But Privet Drive is that way."

"I know, but I figured you probably ought to practice a bit more, don't you?"

"Yes!"

Jake couldn't help but smile at his excitement. "We're not in any hurry so go wherever you want to."

The pair spent the rest of the morning driving all over Surrey and chatting about whatever crossed their minds. Eventually they stopped for lunch followed by a short ride back to Privet Drive. After parking the truck next to the curb in front of his uncle's house, Harry handed Jake his keys back.

"Thanks Jake, that was awesome."

"No problem Harry, any time."

Climbing out of the truck, Harry and Jake walked up to the front door. "You did real good for your first time Harry."

Harry was grinning widely, the excitement of learning to drive still fresh in his mind. He also wasn't afraid to admit he'd had a great time hanging around with Jake. He really liked the man.

Entering the front door, they tried to ignore the looks the Dursleys were giving them, but Harry couldn't help but notice the look of jealousy his cousin shot him. Obviously they had been watching their arrival and seen Harry climb out of the drivers side of the truck. Harry suspected Dudley would bully his uncle into teaching him to drive very soon.

They climbed the stairs in good spirits and headed down the short hallway to Harry's room. "Did you see the look on my cousin's face?" Harry said almost laughing at the thought.

Jake let out a chuckle. "Yeah, what do you think the odds are your uncle will be teaching him to drive soon?"

"One hundred percent, probably today."

They continued to laugh as they entered Harry's room. Noticing it was dark, Harry flipped on the light. The sight that greeted their eyes caused them both to sober instantly.

"Tonks…" Harry said softly as he approached her.

Tonks was sitting on the bed with her legs folded up against her chest and her arms wrapped around them. Tear tracks ran down her cheeks and it was obvious she'd had a very bad day.

Not sure what to do, Harry looked to Jake who nodded his head indicating to Harry he should move forward and see what was wrong. Tonks was like a little sister to Jake and he had to fight his natural instincts to comfort her. He just felt like it would be a good idea for Harry to do it.

Taking a deep breath, Harry stepped forward and sat on the bed next to her. "Hey, you ok?" Harry groaned internally as he heard his own words. 'Of course she isn't ok. Stupid, stupid, stupid.' he thought to himself.

Tonks let out a half hearted snort and wiped the tears from her face. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"No you're not, that was a stupid question. What's wrong? What happened?"

Continuing to wipe the tears from her eyes Tonks finally got it out. "I… I lost my job."

Harry and Jake were both shocked at her admission. It took awhile, but finally she managed to tell them the whole story.

"I don't know what I'm going to do now. I don't have a job. I have a little money saved up but it won't last long. I… I don't know…" Her words trailed off as she broke down into tears again.

Harry's heart was breaking for her and he had no idea what to do. Looking back to Jake for help, he saw him make a gesture with his arm telling Harry to hold her. Harry looked back unsure and received another nod from Jake. Taking another large breath and hoping he wasn't about to get cursed, Harry carefully moved closer to Tonks and wrapped an arm around her.

Tonks flinched at first not expecting the contact but almost immediately fell into the embrace grabbing hold of Harry's shirt and crying into his chest. She loved the feeling of being held by him and it didn't take her long to calm down. After holding on to him for several minutes longer, she leaned back a little, letting go with one hand to wipe her latest tears away.

"Sorry," she said softly.

"It's ok. Don't worry, we'll figure something out."

It was quiet for another minute before Jake stepped forward pulling the chair away from Harry's desk and sitting in front of them. "Your money would last longer if you got rid of that flat of yours, you're staying with Harry this summer right?"

Tonks nodded and reluctantly separated from Harry and slid back on the bed so she was leaning on the wall. She did, however, stay close enough that their legs were touching. "Yeah, I mean if Harry still wants me too."

"Of course I do." Harry said a little faster than he meant to causing Jake to smile and Tonks heart to flutter a little bit.

"I'll still need a place to live come September though," she said sadly.

"No problem there, you can come stay at my place." Jake said.

"Really? You mean it?" Tonks said sitting up straight with hope filled eyes.

Jake let out a chuckle and Harry was smiling. "Of course I mean it. I've got a spare room you can have and it's not like I get a lot of company. It'll be fun."

Tonks let out a squeal as a little bit of the pressure she had been under was lifted. Jumping up in excitement, she gave Jake a quick hug before jumping back on the bed and giving Harry one. Harry's lasted a little bit longer.

"Thanks guys, this really means a lot to me," she said sitting back on the bed next to Harry again. She was still upset about losing her job, but her immediate fears about her future were taken care of. For a bit she had been terrified she would have to move back in with her parents.

"Well," Jake said standing up, "I'm outta here."

"Are you doing anything tomorrow?" Harry asked.

"Not really, what's up?"

"Well," he said looking back and forth between Tonks and Jake, "I wanted to talk to you both about learning some stuff this summer and there's some things I should probably tell you both if you're gonna help me."

"Alright. How about I swing by around lunch time?"

"Cool. Thanks again for everything Jake."

"No problem kid."

"See ya Jake." Tonks said waiving.

"Later." With a wave of his own, Jake headed for the door. "I've got a lot of work to do. It's gonna take me the whole summer to Tonks proof my apartment." Ducking to avoid the pillow Tonks threw at him, Jake laughed all the way to his truck.

Harry and Tonks sat quietly for a while longer. Tonks was thinking about everything she needed to do, pack all her stuff, turn off the utilities and end her lease. Luckily she was renting month to month so she didn't have to worry about a rental agreement. Harry could think of nothing except how close Tonks was sitting to him.

"Well, I guess I'm gonna pop over to my place to pack all my stuff and turn my key in. Shouldn't take too long, I'll be back in an hour or so. You be ok?"

"Sure, see you in a bit."

Tonks climbed off the bed and started out of the room before she remembered the books in her pocket. "Oh, right." she said removing the three books and setting them on Harry's desk. With a wave of her wand they returned to their normal size. "I almost forgot. Remember what I told you about Dumbledore saying he would adjust the wards to keep Jake out if he didn't like him.

Harry nodded.

"Well, I appropriated these from the Ministry Archives before I left earlier."

Getting up from the bed himself, Harry moved to inspect the books. Sorting through the tomes he found 'Blood Magic – Protecting and Warding', 'The Bond of Blood' and 'Creating and Transferring Wards of all types'.

"I don't know a lot about blood magic but I do know a fair amount about wards. I think since the wards are tied to your blood you can take control of them…" she trailed off and waited for Harry to catch on to what she was thinking.

"So if I take control of the blood wards, Dumbledore won't be able to keep Jake out." Harry said as he began to see the possibilities. "But wouldn't he just find another way like adding another ward?"

"Maybe, but I don't think so. I don't know how the wards are setup here, actually nobody but Dumbledore does, but I would bet money the blood ward is the base and anchor for whatever other wards he's added and if that's the case and you take control of that ward then he wouldn't be able to make any changes without your permission."

Harry and Tonks shared a mischievous grin.

"Well, anyway, have a look if you want, I better go get my stuff done."

"Later."

* * *

Tonks returned an hour later to find Harry sitting on his bed leaning against the wall reading one of the books she had 'borrowed' from the Ministry. 

"Wotcher Harry!"

Looking up from his book, Harry couldn't help but grin. He was sure she was still upset about her job but was glad she had been able to rebound so quickly from the morning.

"Hey Tonks. All set?"

"Yup. I'm single and free with nothing tying me down," she said with a lopsided grin.

After sharing a smile with Harry, Tonks drew her wand and began looking around the room. Twirling the wand in a circle above her head she muttered an incantation and the room gave a lurch, expanding until it was twice as big as it had been.

"Cool." Harry said looking around.

Tonks grinned as she scanned the new room as well. "Still not big enough though." Repeating her spell twice more the room doubled in size again and again until it was eight times its original starting size and Tonks was satisfied. She then began tossing spells around the room to make it more comfortable. The carpet was changed to a comfortable shag pile that was Ravenclaw blue and the walls were given a fresh coat of paint. Next she adjusted the lighting making it easier to work in but still soft so it wasn't hard on the eyes.

With her changes to the room complete, Tonks removed a trunk from her pocket and set it on the floor before returning it to its original size. Opening the lid, she dug through the contents for several minutes before pulling out a small box. Reaching inside, she removed a small queen size bed which she returned to its full size with a wave of her wand. After levitating it into a corner of the room, she repeated the process several more times until there was a complete living room setup as well.

After finishing with her furniture, she turned her attention to Harry. "Hey, move to the couch will you?"

"Umm, ok." Harry said curious as to what she was planning.

Tonks looked at Harry's bed for several minutes before waving her wand in an intricate pattern transfiguring the mattress to be much more comfortable. She then transfigured his sheets and blankets so they were silky and soft. After finishing with the bed, she repeated the process with his desk and chair.

"This is brilliant Tonks!"

Looking around Tonks had to agree. "It did come out pretty good didn't it?"

Grabbing the other two books off the desk, Tonks joined Harry on the couch and they spent the afternoon working on the wards.


	5. New Information

**Chapter 5 – New Information**

Harry and Tonks were making a lot of headway with the books on wards. They had learned enough to know that Tonks was correct in that Harry could take control of the wards, now they just had to figure out how. After a good nights sleep, the pair had woken refreshed and ready for the day ahead. With their showers and breakfast out of the way, they settled in for another day of studying the books. It was nearing lunchtime when there was a familiar knock on the bedroom door.

"Come in Jake," Tonks hollered.

Instead of the door opening, they heard Jake yell from the other side. "Not until one of you gets dressed and opens the door. I'm not about to walk in and find you both in bed doing stuff. Something like that could scar a guy for life!"

Tonks just groaned and let her head fall back on the couch. "Soddin wanker," Harry heard her mutter.

After shooting a quick grin at Tonks who unbeknownst to him felt like a snitch was loose in her stomach every time he did, Harry went to answer the door. Jake was leaning against the door jam when the door opened.

"Hey Harry, watcha guys doin?" he said, wagging his eyebrows and speaking suggestively.

"Studying wards." Harry replied.

"Awe come on. The least you could do is make up something good."

"God, let it go Jake." Tonks said getting up from the couch.

Jake held up his hands. "Alright, alright, how about I buy lunch to make up for it?"

"Ok, that'd work."

"Fine. So, where do you two want to go? Madam Puddifoot's?"

Jake never got an answer as he was too busy running for his life.

"Hey Jake," Harry said as he climbed behind the steering wheel of Jake's truck, "check that out."

Jake looked to where Harry was pointing. Sitting in the Dursley's driveway was Vernon's prized possession, his car. The front driver's side corner was smashed in and there were several deep gouges and a lot of missing paint all along the driver's side of the vehicle.

"Wow. So I take it your cousin learned to drive last night?" Jake said grinning at Harry.

"I guess you could call it that." Harry smiled back.

The three enjoyed pizza and pop for lunch before returning to the Dursley's to have the talk Harry had mentioned the day before. Sitting on the couch in Harry and Tonks room, Harry began.

"Tonks, the other day at breakfast I asked Jake to help me get in shape and learn to fight. I also wanted to ask you if you would help me with magic and magical dueling."

"Sure Harry, of course I'll help," she answered.

"Well," Jake said joining the conversation, "I think there's a bit more too it than that."

Harry nodded and continued though it was clear he was nervous and not at all happy about what he was about to share with them. "You both know about the stuff that's happened to me since I started Hogwarts, right?"

"Yes, we don't know all the details, but we do know basically what's been going on." Tonks supplied. Jake nodded in agreement.

Harry took a deep breath before continuing. "Well, after the fight at the Department of Mysteries, Dumbledore took me back to his office and told me something. Do you guys believe in prophecies?"

"Prophecies?" Jake asked.

Tonks explained. "It's divination. Sometimes a seer will go into a trance and give a prophecy that predicts future events. They're usually pretty cryptic and the seer never remembers it once they're done reciting one."

"I see. Well I don't know Harry. Personally I've never really believed in fate or destiny. I've always believed we make our own luck. On the other hand, I didn't used to believe in magic either."

Harry nodded at his response and looked towards Tonks.

"I suppose I do. I mean there's a whole section of the DOM dedicated to prophecies isn't there?" While she had posed a question, it was stated as a fact.

"Do you believe in them Harry?" Jake asked.

"I don't know, I guess. I mean it was made by Trelawney and she did make one to me that predicted the return of Voldemort and that happened."

"What did Dumbledore tell you Harry?" Tonks asked quietly.

"He told me a prophecy that was given to him by Trelawney. He was interviewing her for a job teaching Divination at Hogwarts and was about to turn her down and leave when she gave it. It's why my parent's were killed. It's why Voldemort's been after me my whole life."

Tonks and Jake were giving their undivided attention to Harry as he continued. "It goes… _The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches. Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies. And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not. And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives. The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies._"

It was quiet for several minutes while Jake and Tonks absorbed and thought about the meaning of what Harry had told them.

Tonks was the one who finally broke the silence. The look on her face was one of worry. "So either you kill him or he kills you?"

Harry nodded.

"Hmmm, I don't know Harry. I can see why you say that, but who's to say what 'by the hand of the other' means? That was the wording right?"

Harry nodded again but he looked confused.

"Let me put it this way. Say Voldemort, you and me are all in a room and you say 'Hey Jake, kill that wanker!' and I do. Do you think that would fulfill the prophecy? Would that make me the 'power he knows not'? A power wielded by your hand when you ordered me to kill him?"

"I don't know… Maybe…" Harry said after thinking about what Jake had said for a minute.

"I guess it all comes down to what you believe. If you do believe in it then according to the prophecy itself you _do_ have the power to defeat him. If you don't then it really doesn't matter, does it? Either way I wouldn't give it too much thought. It sounds a lot like a riddle and could mean just about anything. Since you probably won't know what it means until after everything's all said and done, why worry about it?"

"I'd have to say I agree with Jake Harry. It does sound pretty menacing but like he said, it could mean just about anything. You know you don't have to do this alone right? I'll help you and stand with you."

Harry gave her a genuine smile. "Thanks Tonks, that means a lot to me."

"I'll help you too Harry." Jake said. He was uncharacteristically serious as he continued. "We'll start the physical training in the morning but we need to talk about what you want to learn as far as fighting is concerned."

Both Harry and Tonks were looking at Jake curiously.

"Let me ask you a question Harry and I want you to think about it for a minute before you answer me. What are you willing to do to win this war? Because that's exactly what it is, a war."

Jake watched Harry thinking hard about the possibilities for a couple minutes. When he thought Harry was about to respond he pulled a Daily Prophet out of his back pocket and unfolded it.

"I've never actually met the man but I'm willing to bet Dumbledore would tell you we need to capture the Death Eaters and put them on trial for their crimes." Passing the paper to Harry he gave the young man a chance to read it. Tonks was looking at it over his shoulder and they both gasped as they read the headline _'Death Eaters Caught in Ministry - Escape'_. Harry and Tonks both looked grave as they returned their attention to Jake.

"Clearly his approach isn't working. All that aside, before you answer my first question let me add another to the pile. Are you prepared to kill another man? How about several men? If you go by the prophecy you have to kill Voldemort at the very least but we all know there's a horde of Death Eaters between you and him. What are we going to do about them? And yes I mean 'we' cause Tonks and I aren't going to let you go it alone whatever you decide."

The room became quiet again as Harry continued to mull over everything Jake was saying.

"I mentioned before that this is war. The simple fact is that you win a war by killing the enemy. So I ask again Harry, what are you willing to do?"

Finishing his speech, Jake sat back and waited patiently for Harry to decide on a course of action. It was a long while before Harry emerged from his thoughts.

"I'll do whatever it takes to keep my friends safe, to get rid of Voldemort."

Jake looked Harry in the eye and could see the resolve within him. "You sure Harry? It's one thing to say it, it's another thing all together to actually pull the trigger."

"Yes, I'm sure. I've actually already killed one man," Harry finished softly.

"Tell me."

"It was my Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher my first year. Professor Quirrell. Voldemort was living inside his body and when I touched Quirrell it burned him." Harry's eyes glazed over and he seemed to be in another world as he told the story. "I jumped on him and put my hands on his face. He screamed in pain and eventually burned into ash."

"It bothers you to think about it." Jake said.

Harry nodded sadly.

"Good."

Seeing Harry's shock at his comment he explained. "That's what makes us different from them. They don't care. If it stops bothering you, that's when you need to worry."

Silence reigned for another minute before Jake continued. "Back to the original subject and the reason I asked that question, it takes a long time to learn to fight like I do. I've been working with Tonks for a year now and she's picked it up quicker than anyone I've ever met but I think that's because of her talents, she's more connected with her body than most people are. I think we need to concentrate primarily on getting you into shape and work on a few basic moves to take out an opponent. I'm talking about breaking bones and crushing windpipes. Stuff you can learn fairly quickly as we don't have a lot of time."

Harry nodded resigned to his decision. "Alright."

"Tonks, I think you should do about the same." Jake added turning to the woman in question.

"I agree. We can practice technique on each other with simple jinxes and hexes but we need to teach you more powerful spells than anything you've been using. Maybe even some borderline or just plain Dark Arts curses. We need to beat the Death Eaters at their own game, let them know there are consequences to taking the Dark Mark."

Tonks tapped her chin with her finger as she thought about where they were all headed. "You know, as soon as we start taking out Death Eaters the Ministry and Dumbledore are going to come down on us. What we're talking about doing isn't exactly legal."

"That's a good point." Jake said. "We're gonna need a safe house. Something that Dumbledore can't even get to."

"You don't know happen to know how to cast the Fidelius do you Harry?" Tonks asked jokingly.

Harry smiled at her joke. "Maybe we don't need to hide."

Tonks and Jake both looked at him with questioning eyes.

Picking up one of the books he'd been studying with Tonks he held it up. His smile got wider as he saw the grin on Tonks face. Jake still looked confused.

"That's brilliant Harry!" Tonks said excitedly before turning towards Jake. "This house is protected by a blood ward. It uses the same magic that saved him from the killing curse when he was one year old to protect him here. We're working on taking control of the wards. If we can do that, Harry can control who can get in. It'd be safer than Hogwarts. Hell, it'd be the safest place on the planet!"

"Excellent. Harry's gonna need to be able to practice magic as well." Jake said.

Harry grinned again. "If I can get control of the wards, it won't matter. With the stuff we're going to be doing, an underage use of magic charge is the least of my worries."

Tonks and Jake couldn't help but laugh.

"Good point Harry, good point."

"Harry, I think before we get past the point of no return we need to talk to Dumbledore." Tonks said.

A frown appeared on Harry's face. "Why do you say that?"

"We need to find out how to kill Voldemort and I think he's our best bet."

Harry sighed. "I suppose your right. I'll write him a letter."

The three spent a good part of the afternoon making plans and working out strategies before Jake finally had to leave.

"Tonks." Jake said getting her attention. "Why don't you walk me out."

"Alright," she said wondering what he was up too.

"I'll see you in the morning Harry," he said with a wave as he left the room with Tonks behind him.

"Bye Jake."

Tonks followed her friend outside. He stopped just short of his truck and turned to face her. "You should tell him everything."

"What! I… I… couldn't. I mean I don't even know if he…"

Jake quickly cut her off. "No, not that. Look, I may joke around and tease the two of you but that's for you guys to work out together, though I admit I've talked to him some about things."

Seeing a mixture of fear and anger on her face he held up his hands. "No I haven't told him how you feel, like I said that's for you. He just hasn't ever had someone to talk to about this stuff so I made myself available."

Tonks seemed to visibly deflate.

"Anyway, I was talking about you. About what you are."

"I know, I know. It's just hard you know? You're the only one I've ever told. Even my parents don't realize."

Jake placed a hand on her shoulder and she looked up from the ground where she'd been staring. "We're going to go way beyond the limits with this Tonks. As part of the team he needs to know. And because of how you feel and what you want, he deserves to know."

Tonks nodded and gave him a hug. "Thanks for everything Jake."

"Anytime."

* * *

Harry was sitting on the couch reading the books on blood wards when Tonks returned. Closing the door behind her, she quietly walked over to the couch and sat next to him. 

"Harry?"

Looking up from his book, Harry found Tonks looking nervous. "Tonks? What is it?"

"There's something I need to tell you. It's just that it's hard, Jake's the only one I've ever told."

"It's ok Tonks. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"No, I want to. I need to." Tonks took a deep breath. "I'm not a Metamorphmagus like everyone thinks."

Harry was surprised at her admission. Never in a million years would he have seen that one coming. "What? I don't understand."

"I said I'm not a Metamorphmagus. I'm a Shifter."

"I've never heard of that. What's a Shifter."

By way of explanation, Tonks stood up and stepped back from the couch. Her form blurred and Harry found himself staring at a large lioness. A moment later the lion blurred and shifted again this time leaving a squishy arm chair sitting where the lion had just been.

Harry watched in awe as Tonks shifted through form after form. She changed into a variety of animals, people and objects finally returning to her original form before sitting back down on the couch next to Harry.

"Metamorphs can change their features, coloring and to a very small extent their shape but they're limited by their skeleton and mass, they can only stretch or compress their skeleton's a little bit and can't change their total mass at all. Shifting is more like transfiguration. I'm only limited by the amount of magic I have and I have a lot. All Shifters do but I seem to have more than most."

"Wow, that's cool. I didn't even know anything like that was possible."

Tonks smiled. "Thanks Harry. I've never told anyone the truth about me, well except for Jake that is. But I wanted you to know. When I was little I used to change small things about the way I looked sometimes. Stuff like when I'd get mad my hair would go red or if I wanted a cookie my legs would get longer so I could reach it."

Harry smiled at the thought and let out a chuckle which made Tonks blush slightly and punch him in the shoulder. "Stop laughing at me."

"I'm not. I think its cute is all, a little Tonks stretching herself to get a cookie," Harry said still smiling.

The butterflies made another appearance in Tonks stomach. "Anyway, my parents put it off to accidental magic the first few times but after a while they began to wonder if it wasn't something else and took me to St. Mungo's. The Doctors eventually decided I was a Metamorphmagus. Mum and Dad got me every book they could find on Metamorphs and human transfiguration and even got McGonagall to come help me learn to control it."

"How old were you then?" Harry asked genuinely curious about her.

"I was nine when I started learning to control it. I picked it up a lot faster than everyone thought I would. I know now it was because I'm a Shifter rather than a Metamorph so it's more of an instinct than something I had to learn. It was the summer before I started Hogwarts that I figured out what I really was."

Tonks drifted off in a daze for a second as she remembered what happened. Harry waited patiently for her to return to the present, completely entranced by the story she was sharing with him.

* * *

Nymphadora Tonks ran down the street as fast as she could. Arriving at her home, she opened the front door quickly before slamming it shut behind her. 

"Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap…" she repeated to herself as she breathed heavily from the quick run.

She was just calming down when there was a knock on the door.

"Bugger." she said quietly to herself.

Hoping her mum wasn't home she quickly shifted into the form of Andromeda Tonks and answered the door.

"Well hello Mrs. Jenkins."

"Oh Andromeda, when have we ever been so formal?" Bertha said.

'Oops.' thought Tonks. "I'm sorry 'Bertha', I was just on the phone with the bank when you knocked. Can I help you with something?"

"Don't worry about it dear and I'm sorry to catch you when you're busy it's just that Nymphadora painted Mr. Biggles pink."

Tonks couldn't help but let out a snort causing Bertha to frown. "I'm sorry Bertha I just wasn't expecting that. You can be assured I'll be having a long conversation with her about that."

"Thanks Andromeda. I'm sorry to have to bring this to you, but when I tried to catch her she ran off."

"Don't worry, she'll be punished."

"Well, don't be too hard on her. We were young once too."

With a wave of her hand Bertha left to go wash Mr. Biggles and Tonks closed the door. She breathed a sigh of relief and turned around to find Andromeda standing in the hallway with her arms crossed and an angry look on her face.

"Mum!"

"Don't you mum me. And don't you dare take my form young lady!"

Tonks shifted back to herself looking contrite. "Sorry."

"Oh, don't worry, you'll be punished."

* * *

Harry was laughing hysterically at the story. Getting caught up in the moment Tonks couldn't help but laugh along with him. 

"So who's this 'Mr. Biggles'?" Harry asked between chuckles.

"That was her cat's name," she replied setting off another round of laughter.

It was a while before they were able to stop laughing. "So I guess you got busted pretty hard for that eh?"

"Yeah, I got in loads of trouble over that one but the point is that while I was grounded I got to reading through one of my Metamorph books and realized I shouldn't have been able to take mum's form. She was almost twice my size at the time. Once I got to Hogwarts I started doing some research and realized what I really was."

"That's amazing, why didn't you tell anyone?"

"It just seemed like it might be a good idea to keep it quiet. I mean everyone knew I was a Metamorph and the other kids were constantly asking me to change my appearance for them. I don't know. I felt kind of like a circus freak. I figured it would only get worse if they knew the truth so I kept it secret."

"I'm sorry." Harry said softly.

Tonks smiled. "It's ok Harry. It's not your fault. It did have some advantages as well, mainly that I'm a lot more powerful than the average witch or wizard."

"Really? How much more?"

"A lot. It takes a lot of power to shift like I do and that translates to a high level of magical power I can cast with. I'm not at Dumbledore's level but I'm closer than anyone else is."

Harry looked impressed and proud at the same time. The combination made Tonks a little giddy coming from Harry. "You know, I'm not actually clumsy either." Seeing Harry proud of her made her want to let him know this was an act as well.

"Now that I think about it, I haven't seen you trip once around this room."

"Nope. When I first started learning I was very clumsy, tripping over everything in sight and sometimes nothing. Constantly changing my shape and size did that. A couple years into Hogwarts I got over it but by then everyone knew me as the clumsy Metamorph and since I was going with that to hide the truth, I just kept pretending to be that way. It's actually been the best way to hide things. Everyone massively underestimates me because of it."

"How come I've never heard of Shifting before?"

"Probably because it's an almost non-existent ability. There are only a couple references to it in the entire Hogwarts library and they were all in the restricted section. From what I can tell there's never been more than one alive at a time. I suspect the other ones kept it a secret as well."

The conversation faded away and the pair sat quietly. Tonks was glad she had shared her secret with Harry as he continued to look at her in a way that made her heart flutter.

"What?" she finally asked after several minutes.

Harry blushed slightly and looked away. "Sorry, I was just wondering," looking back at her he continued, "is this what you really look like?"

Tonks nodded slowly. "Mostly." she said.

As Harry watched, her hair changed to a dirty blond and grew until it reached just past her shoulders. The only other change she made was to change her violet eyes to a soft blue.

She didn't know why she was nervous, with the exception of her hair and eyes he knew what she actually looked like. But she still harbored a few wounds from the boys she had dated. With out exception they all asked her to change herself. It generally started out small, a hair color or the shape of her nose, but before long it always moved to things like her butt or breasts. Some of the gits even asked her to look like other girls.

"You should wear your hair like this more often," Harry said softly.

Looking up from the spot on the floor she had been staring at she could see in his eyes that he meant it. With out a doubt she knew in her heart of hearts that he would never ask her to change. He would never ask her to be someone else. As she continued to look in his eyes she felt herself falling even more for Harry Potter and was unable to resist giving him a hug.

"Thanks Harry," she whispered as she held him tightly.

Harry held her uncertainly, not sure what the hug was for but happy to receive it. He had to admit if felt good holding her in his arms, 'If only I was a bit older and better looking.' he thought.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore was sitting in his office thinking of the events of the past days and weeks. A lot had happened and as much as it pained him, the events all seemed to be centered around his favorite student. He knew as the schools Headmaster he shouldn't play favorites, but it seemed impossible to not care for the boy. 

He thought about what he had recently learned about the way the Dursleys had been treating Harry and thanked the gods Tonks was there for him. He smiled at the thought of the young Metamorph, he knew of her feelings for Harry and thought she would be good for him. Hopefully this summer would show Harry there were things in the world that were worth saving.

As his thoughts of Harry and all that the boy still had to face continued he began to slip into a melancholic state. Sensing his mood, Fawkes flew from his perch to land on the desk in front of him. His trilling filled the air with happiness and hope and Dumbledore couldn't help but smile.

"Ah my friend. Thank you. It always does my heart good to hear your song." Dumbledore said as he stroked the beautiful bird's plumage.

Fawkes song shifted and Dumbledore sensed the message in his tune. Speaking with a phoenix wasn't quite like anything else. It wasn't like talking or telepathy, through its song you simply knew what the bird wanted to convey to you. Of course you had to be bonded with the phoenix to know this.

'It will be alright. Everything will work out.'

"I hope you're right my old friend, I hope you're right." Dumbledore said as he continued to pet the bird lovingly.

A moment later his attention was pulled away from Fawkes as one of the many instruments sitting on a table to one side of his office began whirring faster and faster. Getting up from behind his desk, Dumbledore quickly made his way to the table.

"This is not possible," he muttered out loud as he examined the contraption.

Drawing his wand he waved it in several intricate patterns, pushing magic around the machine in different ways in an attempt to understand what was occurring.

"Impossible… unless…"

He would need to go to Privet Drive. Picking up a pinch of floo powder he stepped into the fireplace and turned around taking a final look at the gadget he had been inspecting before flooing to the Three Broomsticks so he could apparate to Private Drive to inspect the wards and see Harry.

Harry had only been home a couple of days but according to the machine on the table, the wards had just taken a huge influx of power. The surge had made them almost strong enough to last another year. Normally it took almost a month for them to charge to this level.

"The Three Broomsticks!" he said causing himself to disappear in the green flame.

Stepping out of the fireplace at his destination, he gave a wave to Madam Rosmerta and left the bar to apparate to Surrey.

Dumbledore appeared in the back yard of Number Four Privet Drive and immediately began inspecting the wards. Just as his instruments had indicated, the wards were very close to a level where Harry would be able to leave if he wanted too. He couldn't help but grin at the thought of what could have caused this.

Walking around to the front of the house Dumbledore stepped up to the door and rang the bell.

* * *

Hearing a knock on his door, Harry laid down his book and stood up from the couch where he and Tonks had returned to studying after their conversation. Opening the door, he found his Aunt Petunia waiting for him. 

"Harry," she said meekly, "that Dumbledore fellow is waiting downstairs to see you."

"Oh, ok, thanks. I'll be right down."

Petunia nodded and left to head back downstairs.

"Tonks, Dumbledore's here."

Tonks nodded and began collecting the books on blood wards while Harry went downstairs.

"Professor." Harry said greeting the old man.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled brightly as he looked at the young man standing before him. His friends had helped him work through most of his emotions after losing his godfather at the end of year but he had still left the school depressed. It appeared the last couple of days had been very good to Harry Potter.

"Harry, it's good to see you looking well," Dumbledore said smiling brightly.

"Thank you sir. Maybe we should go upstairs to talk," Harry replied before leading the old wizard up to his bedroom.

Entering Harry's room, Dumbledore took a long look around. "This is a most excellent use of expansion charms. Very well done Nymphadora."

"Sir," Harry interrupted in a serious tone, "she doesn't like that name. If you respect her at all you'll honor her request to use her last name when addressing her."

Tonks flinched as Dumbledore used her given name but her heart soared once again and she couldn't help but smile widely at Harry's standing up to the most powerful wizard alive, for her.

A brief look of surprise passed across Dumbledore's features at Harry's words. Being inside the wards he could feel their energy and all his suspicions about their increased power was confirmed as he noticed the smile on Tonks face and felt another pulse of power get added to the wards.

The wards were created by the blood bond between Harry and his Aunt. Merely having the pair together within the wards would recharge them. The magic the wards were created with was the same magic Lily and James had used to save Harry's life when he was a baby. While Dumbledore had always suspected what this magic was, he hadn't been sure until now. Love. It was the base of all magic, Love, that the Potters had used to protect and save their son. It was Tonks love for Harry that was strengthening the wards faster than he had ever thought possible.

"Ms. Tonks," Dumbledore began turning to face the young witch, "I truly apologize. I have developed a habit of addressing my former pupils by their first names and it is one I'm finding difficult to break. I will do my best to follow your wishes in this matter, please correct me should I fail to do so."

Tonks smiled and nodded to the Headmaster. "Thank you Professor."

Harry and Tonks returned to their seats on the couch sitting close to each other, but not too close not feeling very comfortable with Albus Dumbledore sitting across from them smiling and twinkling like mad.

"I hope I'm not bothering you but I was sitting in my office when I noticed a rather peculiar and interesting thing. It seems the wards around Privet Drive are strengthening faster than they ever have before and are already near full strength."

Harry looked shocked at the news. "How is that possible sir? It's always taken a month or more for them to get that strong."

Not wanting to interfere in anything that might be happening between Harry and Tonks, Dumbledore decided it would be best to claim a certain degree of ignorance in the matter.

"I have several thoughts on that matter Harry, however they are only theories at this point so I cannot say for sure. I stopped by to check the wards for myself and to let you know that if things continue the way they are, you may be able leave Privet Drive as early as tomorrow afternoon if you wish."

As he watched the impact of his news, Dumbledore sensed a feeling of elation from Harry though it quickly changed to uncertainty as if Harry might not want to leave. From Tonks he felt sadness.

"I don't know sir. I've already made some plans for the summer."

Dumbledore smiled internally as he felt Tonks sadness change to hope. "It's entirely up to you Harry, I merely wanted to make you aware of the possibility. May I ask what your plans for the summer are?"

"I'm going to get into shape, and do some studying." Harry replied.

"What are you intending to study?" Dumbledore asked curiously.

"Well, actually I was planning on writing you a letter about that." Harry paused to take a deep breath, hoping the old man would tell him what he needed to know. "Sir, what do I need to know to kill Voldemort?"

Silence filled the room and Dumbledore seemed to age several decades as the twinkle in his eyes dimmed to almost nothing. He starred at Harry for several long minutes as he evaluated the young man before him. Looking into his eyes he found a resolve as strong as any he had ever seen in his considerably long life.

Dumbledore's eyes moved to Tonks and Harry spoke up. "I told her the prophecy."

Once again a look of surprise flashed across the Headmaster's face. It passed quickly and in its wake his eyes seemed to be twinkling as bright as ever at the implications of Harry sharing his most guarded secret with the young witch.

"Very good Harry. It is of course your secret to share with whom you wish and I believe you have made a wise choice."

Harry and Tonks shared a quick smile before returning their attention to the Headmaster.

"Have either of you heard of something called a Horcrux?" Dumbledore asked. He was not surprised when both Harry and Tonks shook their heads in the negative.

"A Horcrux is a most evil invention. In all of Hogwarts library, only one book even mentions them and then only to say it will not speak of such a wicked item. In short, a Horcrux is an item that is used to contain a portion of a wizard or witch's soul."

Tonks looked horrified at the thought and Harry looked confused.

"Why would you do something like that professor?" Harry asked.

"I would never do something like that Harry. To remove a portion of your soul would be to change the person you are, perverting what's left into an evil, twisted representation of the whole. However to answer your question, to remove a part of your soul and bind it to an object would mean that the rest of your soul would be bound to this plane of existence."

"Immortality…" Harry murmured.

"Yes Harry, it is immortality that Voldemort seeks and this is the method he is using to obtain it."

"How do we find his Horcrux and destroy it?" Harry asked after contemplating the information for several minutes.

Dumbledore sighed. "Alas that is not a simple question to answer Harry. You see, Voldemort has not created just one Horcrux, but six."

Tonks let out a gasp and Harry groaned and let his head fall back onto the back of the couch. "Why six?" he finally asked rubbing his eyes.

"I believe he created six so that his soul would be divided into seven parts. Seven is a very magically powerful number. I do not know what he hoped to achieve with this bit of Arithmancy, most likely a power enhancement of some sort but fortunately thanks to you we do not have to worry about that any longer."

Harry sat back up. "Me? What did I do?"

Dumbledore smiled. "You Harry, destroyed one of his Horcrux in the Chamber of Secrets your second year."

Harry's eyes opened wide. "The diary."

With a nod Dumbledore continued. "Very good Harry, yes, Riddle's diary was a Horcrux."

"That still leaves five though." Harry said dejectedly.

"Actually there are only three left."

"Only three? I thought you said he made six?"

"Yes, but I have located and destroyed two myself."

"What were they?" Tonks asked joining the conversation.

"The first was the ring of the Gaunt family." Dumbledore replied reaching into his robes and removing a large gold ring with a cracked black stone set into it. "This ring was an ancient heirloom of the Guant family believed to have once belonged to Salazar Slytherin himself. Tom stole it from his grandfather and turned it into a Horcrux later magically concealing it within the ruins of the old Guant home."

Reaching back within his robes, Dumbledore pulled out a heavy gold locket with an ornate 'S' carved into its surface. "This is the only other one I have managed to find. It was Slytherin's locket. It was located in a cave near the ocean he used to visit on field trips the orphanage he lived in would take during the summer. The cave contained an island where I discovered the locket. The island was surrounded by a lake that concealed an army of Inferi within its depths."

"P… Professor…" Tonks began, the worry of what Dumbledore had just revealed causing her to stutter a bit.

Dumbledore held up his hands. "Do not worry Nym… I apologize, Tonks, I have taken care of the Inferi."

Harry looked confused as he had through much of the conversation. "Professor?"

"Ah, I am sorry Harry. Inferi are re-animated corpses. They are one of the more deadly armies Dark Lords have used in the past." As he explained he noticed Harry's look of worry increase as Tonks had. "Do not worry Harry. As I mentioned to Tonks I have taken care of them."

"How sir?"

"After retrieving the locket, I turned the ceiling of the cave into molten lava. Once I was sure the Inferi were destroyed, I caved in the rest of the structure. I'm sure Tom will be most upset when he discovers he has lost his army," the headmaster finished with a grin.

Harry and Tonks both seemed to let out a sigh of relief.

Tonks was examining the ring when she thought of a very important question. "Professor, how did you destroy the soul fragments?"

Harry looked up very curious as to the answer to that very question.

A bright smile seemed to light up the Headmasters face and his eyes were twinkling brightly as he answered her. "Actually it was Mr. Potter who figured out the best method of destroying them." Turning towards Harry, Dumbledore watched with a grin as he put the pieces together.

"A basilisk fang?" Harry finally asked.

"Close, I was unable to obtain a fang as you did when dealing with the diary however I was able to find a small amount of basilisk venom. I daresay it was a most ingenious solution Harry."

"Thanks Professor." Harry said blushing slightly. "So, there's three more? How do we find them?"

"Alas I do not know Harry. I have been working on that very problem for a long while now."

As the small group contemplated all that they had learned, there was a knock on the door. Harry went to answer it and was happy to find Jake on the other side.

"Heyya Harry!" Jake greeted the young man before him.

"Hi Jake, didn't expect you back here today."

"Yeah I know. I just picked up some weight equipment for you though and thought I'd drop it off." Looking into the room he found Tonks and an old man who he could tell had an amazing amount of magical power.

"Hey Tonks." he said with a wave as he entered the room. "And you must be Dumbledore."

Standing up from his seat, Dumbledore shook Jakes offered hand in greeting. "I am. And you must be the Mr. Trapp I've heard so much about."

"Call me Jake, and I hope you've heard good things."

"That I have Jake. I'd like to speak with you if you have a few moments."

"Sure if Harry doesn't mind, it is his place after all," Jake said turning towards Harry.

"No problem," Harry said with a shrug.

"Would you mind giving us a few minutes Harry, Tonks?" Dumbledore asked.

Jake put a hand on Harry's forearm. "That shouldn't be necessary. I can't think of anything we'd have to talk about I would mind them hearing."

Dumbledore looked the same as always but something about him told Jake he was uncomfortable speaking in front of the others. Jake however didn't care.

"So, I understand you're a friend of Tonks. That you saved her from a couple of Death Eaters last summer."

"That's right, though she's a pretty good witch, I didn't realize it at the time but I don't really think she was in that much trouble. If I hadn't jumped in I think she'd of still come out on top," Jake replied with a grin to Tonks.

"If I remember the event correctly you killed one of the men with a knife?"

Jake simply nodded.

"Do you really think that was necessary? Why didn't you stun the man?"

Jake looked back at Dumbledore who was wearing a very serious and grave expression. 'So that's his game,' Jake thought, 'this should be interesting.'

"Cause I can't perform magic."

Dumbledore looked taken aback. "Are you saying you're a muggle?"

"No, at least not exactly. I can sense magic and we think I have some magic that helps me move quicker, but like I've said, I don't have enough to cast spells."

"Fascinating." Dumbledore muttered. "Would you mind if I cast a few spells to check your magic?"

Jake shrugged his shoulders. "I suppose, Tonks did some checking and didn't find much, no core just a weak magical signature."

Nodding in understanding, Dumbledore drew his wand and began casting an intricate series of spells. After several minutes he replaced his wand and smiled. "You, Mr. Trapp, are a wizard."

Harry and Tonks looked at Jake in surprise to find him furrowing his eyebrows.

"Care to explain?" Jake asked.

"Of course. It appears a very strong block has been placed on your magic. Apparently there is a crack of sorts in the block which is leaking magic into your system enhancing your physical abilities and allowing you to sense magic."

Jake nodded. "Well thank you sir. That explains some things I've been wondering about for most of my life."

"You're quite welcome Jake. If you would like I would be happy to remove the block for you so that you may fully access your magic."

Harry and Tonks looked at Jake expectantly. Seeing their looks, Jake threw them a wink and held up his hands to stop Dumbledore. "No thanks."

Jake couldn't stop the large grin that crept onto his face at the looks of shock the other three were wearing. He was barely able to keep from laughing out loud.

"I'm sorry Jake, are you saying you don't want to be able to use your magic?" Dumbledore asked in confusion.

"I'm saying I know who I am and am happy with that person. I see no reason to change that."

Silence filled the room as everyone thought about Jake's decision to leave his magic under lock and key. Harry was smiling and seemed to understand and get more out of Jake's decision than either Tonks or Dumbledore.

Seeing the old man still looked like he wanted to say several things but was holding himself in check, Jake decided to give him his chance. "Tell you what Harry, Tonks, why don't the two of you do me a favor and go unload the weight equipment from the back of my truck."

Harry and Tonks reluctantly headed for the door. Taking a final look back, they received a nod and grin from Jake telling them it was ok and left the room closing the door behind them.

Turning back towards the old man still sitting in front of him Jake started. "Alright, they're gone now, say what's on your mind."

Dumbledore gave Jake another appraising look before starting. "I'm not sure I approve of your relationship with Harry."

Jake had expected something like that. "Oh, and what exactly don't you approve of?"

"I believe your attitude towards killing and death is a bit on the cavalier side. To take a life is a horrible thing that should only be done under the direst of circumstances and I believe your life to this point has taught you differently. My concern is that you appear to be someone Harry is beginning to look up too and I fear your attitudes in this matter will negatively impact him."

"I see," Jake said standing up. He continued to speak as he walked to Harry's desk and began rooting through the pile of parchments covering its top. "I'm curious what these 'direst of circumstances' you mentioned are."

"When lives of the innocent are at risk and there is no other choice than to use deadly force."

Jake nodded as he returned to his seat holding the item he had been searching for. "Fair enough." Jake said. "So I assume it's your intention to imprison all of the Death Eaters and Voldemort?"

Dumbledore sighed. "I don't think either of us believes Voldemort will be imprisoned. I do however believe his Death Eaters should be captured and given a fair trial."

Jake smiled back at the old wizard and threw the Daily Prophet to him. The same Daily Prophet he had given to Harry and Tonks earlier. "Good call Dumbledore. You do realize you're going to lose this war don't you?"

After catching the paper, Dumbledore laid it on a table next to his chair. He didn't need to read it, he already had. "And what is your solution Mr. Trapp?"

"Kill the enemy." Jake replied simply and evenly with confidence.

"And what of those who are under the imperious curse being forced to act against their will?"

Jake clasped his hands together and leaned forward placing his elbows on his knees. "In every conflict there will be collateral damage. It's unavoidable. The trick is to minimize the amount of damage the enemy can do. You would lock them up and give them trials, trials that are led by corrupt men who accept bribes to look the other way. How many Death Eaters do you personally know of who got off using the imperious curse as their excuse?"

Jake did not wait for an answer. He could feel in Dumbledore's magic he knew of several. "Your methods are not working. You captured the enemy and now they're back on the streets. How many 'innocent' lives will be destroyed and lost because of your inability to keep them locked up? Those men will kill again. Many lives will be lost, deaths that could have been prevented had you acted on your dire circumstances instead of standing back and preaching morals. How many innocent lives will your better than thou attitude cost?"

The two men stared each other down for a long minute before Dumbledore rose from his seat. "I can see we will never be able to agree on these matters. I suggest you distance yourself from Mr. Potter before he becomes any more attached to you than he already has. He has enough on his plate right now without being led down a path that can only bring him pain."

Jake stood as well. "And if I don't?"

Dumbledore looked deadly serious. "Then I will be forced to take action to separate you from Harry."

Another staring contest ensued but was cut short as footsteps were heard on the stairs.

"It was a real pleasure finally meeting you Dumbledore." Jake said evenly.

"You as well Mr. Trapp." Dumbledore replied as he left the room.

"Leaving professor?" Harry asked as he passed him on the stairs.

"Yes, I need to be getting back Harry. Should you decide you would like to be moved to Grimmauld Place, please feel free to send me an owl and I'll make the necessary arrangements. Have a good summer."

Harry thanked him and with a wave of his hand Dumbledore left through the front door. Continuing to his room, Harry found Jake in the seat he had been sitting in when he left looking thoughtful and took a seat on the couch.

"Jake?" Harry carefully asked.

Jake didn't move for another minute before he looked up to face Harry. "Hang on a sec Harry, Tonks is on her way up."

True to his word a minute later they were joined by the witch herself. "He modified the wards before he left," she said as she took her favorite seat on the couch, the one next to Harry.

Jake nodded. "Yeah, I felt the change. Just a guess, but I suspect once I leave I won't be able to get back in."

"Probably." Tonks agreed.

Harry looked angry and more resolved than ever. "You can stay here if you want, at least until we figure out the wards."

Jake couldn't help but smile. "Thanks Harry, I appreciate that but I do have some things I need to take care of before we kick off our grand adventure. Plus I still need to pick up a treadmill. Did you guys get the weight bench?"

Tonks pulled a small box out of her pocket and what looked like a handful of coins and a toothpick. Setting them all on the floor, she waved her wand and they all grew to their full size to reveal they were the weights in question.

"Good deal. I'll get the treadmill and pack my stuff. Give me a call when you figure the wards out and we'll get things going."

After saying their goodbyes, Jake left and Harry and Tonks went back to work on the wards.


	6. Moving Forward

**Chapter 6 – Moving Forward**

Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk working his way through a large pile of paper work that never seemed to get any smaller. Letting his mind drift for a moment he wondered if perhaps the pile was cursed to grow faster than he could work through it. Grinning at his thoughts he shook his head and was about to return to the report he was reading when the same instrument on the spindly legged table that had drawn his attention a few days before began spinning faster and glowing brighter than it ever had before.

Leaping up from his seat, he quickly crossed his office to inspect the device with twinkling eyes and a smile playing on his lips. Knowing it was the love Tonks had for Harry that was fueling the wards to unprecedented levels and suspecting Harry was beginning to feel the same even if he didn't realize it he wondered amusedly what was going on at Privet Drive today.

As he watched, the small machine continued to spin faster and faster as the glow increased. Drawing his wand he was about to check the power levels when the machine stopped functioning all together. He quickly cast a series of spells hoping to find something wrong with the device, but everything was working properly. He could detect no blood ward at Privet Drive.

He was stepping towards the floo when the other machines monitoring the wards he added to the Dursley's home began failing one by one. Feeling dread and panic creeping up within, he quickly summoned his familiar.

"Fawkes! We need to get to Privet Drive immediately!"

He was very surprised and extremely dismayed when Fawkes merely looked at him and began trilling instead of jumping to his aid.

'I am sorry Albus but I can not help you in this matter. I will not go against The Three.'

"Please my friend now is not the time for riddles," Albus implored his long time companion.

'I am sorry,' Fawkes trilled in response. With a gentle flap of his great wings, Fawkes flew up from his perch heading for one of the upper office windows. 'Have faith in the boy,' he sang before disappearing through the window.

Filing the odd behavior of the phoenix away for later contemplation, Dumbledore quickly took the floo to Hogsmeade running out of Rosmerta's pub as soon as he stepped out of the fireplace.

The familiar feeling of being squeezed through a hose washed over him as he apparated to Privet Drive but when he appeared he was very unsettled to find he was still standing outside the Three Broomsticks and now had a pounding headache.

"Anti-apparition wards." he muttered worriedly as he knelt to pickup a small stone from the ground. "Portus!"

After muttering the spell to create a portkey to Harry's bedroom he tapped it with his wand. Nothing happened.

"No. Please no."

In an ever increasing state of panic, Dumbledore apparated to Grimmauld place to collect as many Order members as possible fearing the worst.

* * *

Alastor Moody and Remus Lupin were sitting in the kitchen at Grimmauld Place sharing a cup of tea when the door was thrown open and Dumbledore stormed into the room. 

"Damn Albus, I almost cursed you." Moody said as he stood up from the crouched position he had assumed on the floor at Dumbledore's appearance and put away his wand.

Dumbledore completely ignored his comments. "Is anyone else here?"

Remus looked back at him curiously. His wolf senses picked up on Dumbledore's agitation and it made him nervous. "Minerva's in the library. What's going on Albus?"

Shaking his head Dumbledore merely motioned for them to follow him as he hurried from the kitchen. "Minerva!" he yelled as he ran into the entrance way.

A moment later the professor came running down the stairs to see what the excitement was about. "Albus? What's going on?"

Picking up a candlestick from a table in the entryway, Dumbledore concentrated intently on what he needed to do. "Portus… Portus… Portus… Portus… Portus." Finishing the portkey, the aged wizard addressed his friends. "Wands out, everyone take hold." They all did as instructed looking at him with a mixture of curiosity and nervousness.

"I can no longer detect any of the wards at Privet Drive." Remus and Minerva looked aghast at the information. Moody just looked ready for a fight.

"After the primary ward went down all of the others failed one by one. I have been unable to apparate or portkey onto the property. This one will take us as close as I was able to get to Harry's home which is just outside of where the wards used to end."

Finishing his briefing, Dumbledore tapped the candlestick activating the portkey he had just finished creating.

* * *

Two days had passed since Dumbledore had adjusted the wards and Jake had left. Harry and Tonks found themselves sitting on the couch exactly as they had been the last couple days reading through the large tomes Tonks had liberated from the Ministry prior to her departure the day she had lost her job. 

They had learned loads about the wards protecting the area in those two days but hadn't found a way for Harry to take control. It was almost time for lunch when Harry sat up straight scanning the page he was on fervently with a smile creeping up onto his face.

"Call Jake," Harry said as he turned to face Tonks, "Tell him to bring a pizza over for lunch."

Tonks looked up from the book she had been studying to find Harry grinning broadly. "You found it?" she asked hopefully.

"No." Harry began mischievously. "I haven't found anything about how to take control of the wards."

Tonks narrowed her eyes as she took in the look on Harry's face and listened to what he'd said. She knew damn good and well there was more to it than he had just told her.

"Spill." she finally ground out when he didn't say anything further.

Harry couldn't help but let out a chuckle. Drawing his wand he took a deep breath praying this would work so he wouldn't get stuck with another underage use of magic charge. Standing up from his seat, he moved to the middle of the room.

He started with his wand pointing to the floor to his left and waved it in a large arc over his head until it was pointing at the floor to his other side. He then brought the wand back up until it was pointed straight up into the air above him. "Cognatus Aegis Compingere!"

Tonks watched in awe as Harry completed the incantation and the tip of his wand began to glow. The glowing slowly intensified before a wave of magic was released that seemed to pass through and envelope the entire room and beyond. Her heart rate increased and her breathing became shallow as the magic passed through her. It wrapped her completely filling her with energy and passion, making her feel safe, protected and loved.

As the magic faded away, Harry looked up to find Tonks staring at him with her mouth open and a look of hunger in her eyes.

"Tonks? Tonks? You ok?"

Receiving no answer other than the continued staring, Harry moved forward and kneeled in front of her placing his hands on hers which were resting on her lap.

"Tonks," he said softly as he looked into her eyes.

Finally coming out of her stupor, she found Harry kneeling in front of her holding her hands and looking concerned.

"Harry," she managed to say softly, the feelings he had inspired in her still swimming around inside.

"Are you ok?" he asked worriedly.

Tonks nodded slowly. "Yeah, yeah I am. That was… it was amazing Harry. You did it." She spoke softly still in awe of the feeling of the magic and found herself unable to look away from his eyes.

Harry smiled and squeezed her hands as relief flooded through him. For a moment he thought Tonks had been hurt by the spell.

Finally coming back to herself, Tonks blushed internally and even a little bit externally at what had happened to her and took a couple deep breaths to help clear her mind. "How, I mean what happened?"

"I sealed the wards."

"I don't understand. I thought you needed to take control to do anything like that."

Harry grinned again and shook his head. "No." he said releasing her hands. Twisting to one side he picked up the book he had been reading and showed it to her. After scanning over the pages she looked up with a grin that matched his.

"It's my blood that powers the wards. I already had control, I just didn't know it."

Tonks closed the book and placed it on the table. "This is great Harry!" she began excitedly, "So what did you do exactly?"

"I sealed the wards. Dumbledore setup the wards in the beginning and because of that he's always had the ability to adjust and make changes to them." Harry stopped and looked thoughtful for a minute. "Come to think of it, he'll probably be by in awhile since I don't think his monitors are going to work anymore. Oh well, anyway, he also added a bunch of his own wards to control apparition, portkeys and stuff like that but they're gone now. The blood ward takes care of everything but I don't think he could control it that well since he's not related to me."

Tonks was almost laughing. "Yeah, he's probably freaking out right now Harry. Can he get in?"

Harry shook his head. "Nope. Everything's locked down right now. It won't affect muggles unless they plan on hurting someone inside the wards, but magical people can't get inside at all regardless of their intentions. As a matter of fact I need to add you."

After flipping the book open to a page he had marked earlier, Harry reached forward and took hold of Tonks hand. Touching it with the tip of his wand, he said the incantation in the book. "Cognatus Aegis Adgrego Compos!"

Another wave of magic similar to the first flowed through Tonks causing her heart to pound in her chest again as she looked into Harry's eyes. The effect was much shorter and less intense than it had been the first time but it still made her think of how wonderful it could be if things somehow managed to work out.

"So that's it? I can come and go now?"

"Yeah, but I did a little more than that, you also have control of the wards like I do." Harry said.

"I do?" Tonks questioned, realizing the level of trust Harry had in her. "But I mean even Dumbledore didn't have that much control. You said he had to add more wards of his own to control everything."

"Right, but he only had the access he got from setting up the wards, I didn't give him access."

"Thanks Harry." She replied simply, not quite sure how to respond to such a gesture.

Harry just smiled back at her. "No problem Tonks, I trust you."

Their eyes connected for a long minute before Harry looked away, breaking the moment. "I… I should probably write a letter to Dumbledore, you know, letting him know I'm ok."

"Yeah," Tonks said softly.

* * *

Dumbledore, McGonagall, Lupin and Moody appeared in Little Whinging not far from Harry's home. Dropping the candlestick they had used as a portkey, the four immediately took an offensive stance as they surveyed the area for anything out of the normal. 

"Alastor?" Dumbledore asked as he scanned the area.

"Everything looks normal, but something's not right. I can't see through anything or in the house." the grisly ex-auror ground out. "Who's supposed to be on watch?"

"No one. I discontinued the normal rotation yesterday due to Ms. Tonks presence. You say you can't see what's happening inside the house?"

Remus was impatient. All he knew was that Harry was in trouble and everyone was standing around talking. Deciding he couldn't wait any longer Remus started running towards Number Four. He only made it two steps before he smashed into an invisible barrier which threw him back several meters with only a brief flash of light and soft crackling sound to tell of its existence.

"Remus!" Minerva said as she ran to his side.

The werewolf slowly sat up in a daze. His entire body ached and his ears were ringing. "What… What happened?" he managed to ask as he tried to blink the multiple images he was seeing from his eyes.

"Hold still Remus, you appear to have received quite a shock." McGonagall said between incantations as she checked his condition.

A moment later they were joined by Dumbledore who had been inspecting the point of impact. "It appears the blood wards that protect Harry are still intact. Remus, what were you thinking when you tried to get past the wards?"

Remus had to think for a minute about what had happened. He was coming around but was still pretty shaky. "I was thinking about hurting whoever did this to Harry."

Dumbledore nodded in understanding. "Yes, I suspected as much. Would it surprise you to know I've just been in contact with the wards and other than not being able to pass they had no effect on me?"

"Albus!" Minerva interjected in a huff. "Now is not the time for your riddles. What is going on?"

"I apologize Minerva. As I've said the blood wards protecting Number Four are still intact. In fact, they appear to have absorbed all of the other wards I placed on the property and are assuming their functions. Unfortunately it appears I no longer have the ability to manipulate or control them."

"Does that mean we can't get in?" Remus asked worriedly as he rose to stand on as of yet unsteady legs. "Who has control if you don't?"

Dumbledore sighed as he listened to Remus questions and looked up to see a snowy owl approaching with a piece of parchment held in her talons. "I suspect we are about to find out."

Hedwig lit on the Headmaster's offered arm and held out the note for him to take before taking flight. All four of the group watched closely as she flew back through the wards and returned to Harry's room. After Hedwig disappeared inside the Dursley's home, all eyes turned to Dumbledore who was opening the note.

"It's from Harry." he said simply before reading the short note that was written on the parchment.

_Professor Dumbledore,_

_I apologize for any unnecessary worry I may have caused you, it was not my intention, but I have taken control of the wards surrounding Privet Drive. I just wanted to let you know that I am safe and there is no need to worry._

_I'm sorry I felt the need to take this step but I do not believe you left me any choice. While I appreciate your efforts to keep me safe, you have no right to dictate my life or decide who I may or may not be friends with. There are of course other reasons I have done what I have however a letter is not the best place to discuss them._

_Sincerely,  
__Harry Potter_

Dumbledore sighed as he finished the letter and handed it to Remus who quickly re-read it. "What's he talking about Albus?" Remus asked as he finished the letter.

"I'm talking about the way the Professor modified the wards to keep a new friend of mine away from my house," a voice said from behind them.

The four spun around with their wands drawn to find Harry and Tonks standing a couple meters away, just inside the wards. Breathing a sigh of relief at the appearance of the boy they had all been worried about, the four put away their wands and approached the pair stopping just short of the wards.

"Harry, thank god you're ok," Remus started.

"We're fine Remus, sorry to scare you like that. Are you ok?" Harry said contritely.

"It's ok Harry I'm fine. Really I'm just glad you're ok."

After nodding to Remus, Harry turned towards Dumbledore. "I figured you were here when Hedwig came back so soon not to mention I felt the wards trigger."

"I'll be right back Harry." Tonks said before apparating away.

Dumbledore was curious as to where she disappeared to but decided it would be best to let it go for now. "You look well Harry. I seem to be visiting you quite a lot this summer."

Harry merely shrugged his shoulders.

"Would it be possible for me to join you inside so that we may discuss the other reasons you alluded to in your letter?"

Shaking his head in the negative Harry replied. "Sorry, but I don't think so Professor."

"I see. Well then, I guess this venue will have to do." Dumbledore said with a sigh before waiting patiently for Harry to begin. Remus, Minerva and Moody looked on curiously at the exchange taking place between the pair.

The silence stretched on for a bit before the growl of an engine was heard and a familiar SUV came rolling down the street pulling over and parking in front of Number Four. The motor turned off and Jake and Tonks stepped out of the truck. Closing the doors behind them, the pair made their way over to the group stopping on either side of Harry.

With his companions at his side, Harry took a deep breath and began. "I've taken control of the wards so I can learn how to fight without the Ministry getting in the way."

"Harry, you realize what you're doing is illegal. Why don't you work with me and we'll find a way teach you magic this summer without having to worry about the Ministry. The wards are more than sufficient to sustain your protection for another year; perhaps we could move you to Hogwarts where you could use magic legally under the supervision of myself and the other Professors."

Harry shook his head. "No thank you Professor." Reaching into his pocket he withdrew a piece of parchment which he held up for everyone to see. It was a warning for the use of underage magic. "As you can tell, it's already too late for that, besides, I need to learn things I don't think you're willing to teach me."

Dumbledore took a quick look at Jake before returning his attention to Harry. "And what is it that you feel you have to hide yourself away to learn Harry?"

'Time to drop the bomb.' Harry thought. "I need to learn how to fight and win against Death Eaters… against Voldemort."

McGonagall gasped and Remus let out a curse of some sort but Harry ignored them keeping himself focused on the Headmaster.

"Harry I don't believe you fully understand the situation. You need…"

Harry interrupted Dumbledore with a raised hand and an angry shake of his head. "No Professor it's you who doesn't seem to understand the situation. People are dying and you the supposed leader of the light and the Order aren't doing anything to stop it. Innocent lives are being lost almost every day and no one's doing anything."

Clenching his fists, Harry did his best to push down his anger. "We're going to do what you and the Order won't. We're going to fight back. We're going to let the Death Eaters know that the mark they wear comes with a price."

"Harry, I beg you to reconsider before this goes any further. I can still help you, but not if you don't stop this now."

"I'm sorry Professor, but someone has to do something and since you won't, I have too."

Harry, Tonks and Jake turned and walked away leaving the four stunned Order members behind. After stopping at Jakes truck to retrieve several boxes which Tonks shrunk, the three disappeared inside the Dursley's home.

Remus had called after them several times as had Dumbledore and McGonagall but all their words were ignored. With nothing left to do about the situation, the group returned to Grimmauld Place.

* * *

Harry led the way up the stairs and was pushing open the door to his room when Jake stopped him. 

"Hey, how about I take the guest room? Tonks can be a scary sight in the morning and I don't want to have to start my days like that." he said grinning.

"Wanker," Tonks muttered as she smacked Jake in the shoulder though inside she was silently thanking him.

Try as he might to hold it in, Harry couldn't help but let out a snort at Jake's teasing earning him a glare from the witch in question. "That'd probably be fine. We should tell my relatives though."

After putting Jake's things in the spare room and unshrinking them, the group wandered downstairs to inform the Dursleys of Number Four's new occupant.

"Aunt Petunia?" Harry said gaining the attention of his aunt.

Petunia turned around from the sink where she was getting ready to wash some dishes to see what her nephew wanted and was surprised to find he was not alone. A frown appeared on her face as she took in the appearances of Harry's friends but knowing they were 'unnatural' like her nephew she carefully held back the comments that were coming to mind.

"Yes… Harry?" she asked, struggling to use his first name politely.

"You remember Jake?" he said indicating the man standing next to him. "He's going to be staying here this summer like Tonks. I thought he could use the guest room."

A look of horror flashed across her features at the thought of another 'freak' staying in her home. Pushing her fears aside she was about to refuse when the 'freak' in question spoke up.

"I hope this isn't a problem Mrs. Dursley, I would be more than happy to pay rent for the room, say five hundred pounds a week?" Jake said as he pulled a large wad of cash out of his pocket and began counting off the bills.

The look of anger in Petunia's eyes changed to one of greed as she looked at the large bank roll and she nodded eagerly. "I think that would be fine," she said, her eyes never leaving the money he was counting out.

"Here you go." Jake handed her a large pile of notes before stuffing the rest back in his pocket. "That should cover me through the end of August."

Harry and Tonks were leaning against each other doing their best to not laugh at the look on Petunia's face. They weren't entirely sure she wasn't going to pass out as she stared at the large pile of cash in her hands.

"Alright then," Jake said steering Harry and Tonks out of the kitchen, "thank you Mrs. Dursley, see you round." he finished with a wave.

"Yes, see you round," Petunia repeated as they left. 'Finally,' she thought still staring at the money she held as the door closed, 'one of them with some manners.'

* * *

Harry and Tonks finally broke down laughing as they entered Jakes new room. They laughed about the look on Petunia's face for a long while before they were able to get it out of their systems. 

"That was brilliant Jake." Harry said. "I'll pay you back for that next time I get to Gringotts."

Jake shook his head and grinned. "Naw, don't worry about it Harry, I'm loaded."

"The American Military pays that good?" Tonks asked.

Jake shook his head again. "Not really, inheritance."

Tonks looked confused. "But I thought you were an orphan."

The normal joviality Jake wore like a crown left his face as images of the past returned to him. "I was. I saved a man's life early on in my career. We became best friends and hung out all the time, we even managed to get assigned to the same team somehow." His eyes shined briefly at the thought of his friend before the solemn look returned. "He died a few years back and even though I never gave the life debt a second thought I guess he did. He didn't have any family left and his parents had been quite wealthy, he left me everything he had and a note that said since he wasn't able to repay me in life, he'd take a shot at it in death."

Harry and Tonks listened quietly and reverently to Jake's story remaining silent as Jake disappeared into his thoughts for a bit after he finished. It didn't take him long to shake the odd mood and begin smiling again.

"Oh well, I'll see him again eventually." Picking up a couple boxes from the bed, he headed towards Harry's room where the living room furniture was. "Pizza?"

* * *

Dumbledore and his group returned to Grimmauld Place in something less than the best of spirits. No one felt the need to talk as they made their way through the old manor to the kitchen where they discovered Molly Weasley had arrived and was busy fixing lunch for whoever might stop by. 

"Hello Albus, Minerva, Remus, Alastor." Molly greeted. "Lunch will be ready soon."

"I think that can wait a bit Molly. Why don't you join us for a few moments." Dumbledore replied.

A worried look appeared on Molly's face as she joined the group at the large wooden table. "What's happened?"

"Don't worry Molly, everything is ok for the moment. We have just come from Privet Drive, Harry along with Ms. Tonks and a friend of hers she recently introduced Harry too have taken control of the wards surrounding Privet Drive and locked everyone out."

Molly crossed her arms and gave Dumbledore a look of anger. "I told you it was a bad idea to send him back there so soon after losing his Godfather. Why don't I go have a word with him."

Dumbledore sighed. "I'm afraid it will do no good Molly. The wards are quite impenetrable and he seems more than a little resolved concerning his course of action."

"And what exactly is it that he plans on doing?"

"His plans are to learn to fight, both magically and muggle style if I do not miss my guess. It also appears to be his and his friend's intention to fight against Voldemort and his Death Eaters."

A loud gasp escaped Molly's lips. "Albus, he can't! He's only a child!"

"While I agree that this is a bad idea, I currently have no way to put a stop to it. Alastor," Dumbledore said deciding it was time to move the meeting along, "what are your thoughts on apprehending Mr. Potter and his associates?"

Moody looked up from where he had been examining his leg but continued to massage the kinks out of it. "His 'associates' as you put it haven't done anything wrong so there's no legal basis to detain them. The best you've got on Potter is an underage use of magic charge but unless Fudge is prosecuting that'll just be a slap on the wrist. Legal questions aside though, I don't see how you're gonna catch any of em."

The room was silent as the group pondered the situation. It was Mad Eye who finally spoke his mind. "Personally I'm not sure we should be messin with em anyway."

"What? How can you say that? Harry needs us!" Molly stated strongly.

"Yeah? What for? I've thought we should be going after the Death Eaters for a long time but all we ever do is watch. Bout time someone decided to do something about em," Moody stated gruffly.

"Never the less Alastor, I fear the path Harry has embarked upon will only lead him to harm. Molly, why don't you have Ron, Ginny and if possible Hermione write to Harry to see if they can get through to him."

"Of course Albus, I'll speak with them tonight."

The meeting ended and Albus was leaving the kitchen when he heard Moody calling after him. "Albus, he's a good lad. Have a little faith in the boy."

As Moody's words washed over the Headmaster, his thoughts returned to the brief and odd conversation he'd had with Fawkes before leaving his office for Privet Drive. He found it interesting the phoenix had also told him to have faith in Harry. He had also said he would not go against 'The Three'. Who were 'The Three'? Was Fawkes referring to Harry and his friends or was it something else?

Dumbledore continued to go over the day's events and Fawkes words as he returned to his office intent on having another conversation with his familiar. He didn't think it would do any good, Fawkes could be very stubborn when he felt strongly about something, but he felt he had to try just the same.

* * *

"Alright guys," Jake began after they had all had their fill of pizza and pop, "we've got a few things we need to work out." 

Harry and Tonks sat attentively listening to Jake from their usual positions on the couch.

"We know we need to start training Harry and we'll get to that in a little bit but there are some other things we need to think about as well. First, Dumbledore was nice enough to take care of the Inferi, but we still need to work something out for the Dementors. Now that they've left Azkaban they're probably one of the biggest threats we'll face."

Jake gave them a minute to think about the situation with the Dementors before continuing. "Second, we need to figure out where the rest of the Horcruxes are and destroy them."

"We should find out whatever we can about Riddle when he was in school and whatever he did after." Tonks interjected.

Harry let out a pained sigh. "I guess I could write to Dumbledore and ask him."

"Sounds like a good place to start." Jake said nodding. "Third, we need a way to find the Death Eaters. We need to know when and where they are when they go on raids if we're gonna be able to do anything about it."

"I've got a few ideas on that." Tonks said. Getting up from the couch she stepped over to her trunk and rummaged through it for several minutes before removing a small box. Retuning to the couch she opened the box and removed a small hand held mirror which she set on the table.

Noticing the shadowy figures moving around inside the mirror, Harry recognized it immediately. "A Foe Glass?"

Tonks nodded. "Yeah, it's a pocket sized one. I modified it so that instead of showing the area around you, it shows a specific location. This ones setup to watch my old flat."

"Brilliant," Harry said examining the glass closely.

"The problem is there are literally thousands upon thousands of places he could hit. We'd never be able to setup enough of them," Jake noted.

"True, but we could set these up for the most likely sites like Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade or the muggle born student's houses. For each one I can make a portkey to take us there if they detect anything."

Harry frowned. "Don't the Death Eaters setup wards to prevent apparition and portkey travel when they get there?"

Tonks nodded but was grinning. "Yeah, but portkeys are my specialty. Do you know how wards work to prevent magical travel?"

"Not really," Harry replied. It was obvious from the questioning look on his face that Jake had no idea either.

"Well, when apparating, you disappear, move through space, then reappear at your destination. Anti-apparition wards saturate the area preventing you from disappearing or reappearing. Portkeys work differently. They create a magical connection with the destination then the magic pulls you through the space between which is why you feel like a hook is pulling you from behind your naval. Anti-portkey barriers are like big domes that cover an area. They keep the portkey from connecting to the destination which is why they won't go through the barrier."

Harry and Jake nodded in understanding at Tonks explanation.

"Here's the neat part, I can make a portkey that has a two part activation. Meaning after creating the portkey we can activate the first part which will create the connection to the destination…"

"And activate the transportation part when we need to use it meaning that if they put up anti-portkey wards, they won't do any good!" Harry finished excitedly for her.

"Nice one Tonks," Jake said proudly. "Then what? We need to take down the wards to leave right?"

"Actually no, I can apply the same technique to portkeys we wear that'll bring us back here."

"Brilliant!" Harry said. "Then we'll always have a way back here to safety if we get in trouble."

"Alright, that will work for the sites we monitor with mirrors, but what about the rest of Great Britain?" Jake asked bringing everyone back on track.

"Well, it's not quite as good but the best I've been able to think of is to steal a map from the Ministry."

"A map?"

"Yeah, they have maps to track the use of unforgivables. Any time one gets used is shows up as a blinking dot. We'd have to portkey outside whatever wards they put up and walk in and we wouldn't have any idea what we were walking into but it's the best I've been able to come up with."

"We could fly in." Harry suggested.

"That's better. You guys think I'll be able to fly a broom?" Jake asked.

Harry thought for a moment. "I think so. You have to be magical to tell the broom what to do but the charms on the broom do all the work so it's not like it takes a lot of magic to fly one. Let's add it to the training schedule."

"Sounds good. So how are we going to get the map Tonks?"

"I think I know someone I can ask," she said tapping her chin with a finger. "I'm pretty sure he'll help."

"Alright then, let's talk about training. I see you've setup the bench I left with you," Jake said looking at the weights lined up in one corner. "I got that treadmill I mentioned since I figure we won't be able to go out much once things start happening. We'll take a nice long run every other day and use the weights on the off days. The runs will help your cardio, stamina, some muscle groups, etc. The weights are a little more technical. We'll setup a few different workouts that focus on different muscle groups and rotate through them. As you get going we'll increase the weight and vary the exercises to give you're body a good even workout. If you're anything like me, the magic will help along your development but it's going to take a lot of hard work, it won't happen overnight."

Harry had been listening intently and Jake was happy to see the look of determination and resolve back on his face. "Along the way I'll teach you some moves that should give you an edge over any Death Eaters that wander too close." Jake finished with a grin.

"Tonks?" Jake said indicating it was her turn to go.

"I think you're already pretty good in a duel but there are still some things we can work on. We aren't gonna teach you to bow and all that crap, we're gonna teach you to fight dirty. I know some pretty lethal curses I'll teach you, it's best to have a fairly wide arsenal to choose from. If you use the same one over and over they begin to expect and prepare for it."

"Draw your wand Harry, let's see where you're at." Tonks said standing up from her seat next to him.

Harry did as he was told. As soon as he stood up, Tonks waved her wand and the room was cleared of furniture. She then put her wand back in its holster and stood across from him.

"Attack me," she said looking at Harry.

"What?" he asked.

Tonks rolled her eyes. "I said attack me."

"Umm, but you don't…"

Harry was cutoff as Tonks raised a hand and wandlessly summoned Harry's wand. "Nice job Harry, lesson one, no mercy." Tonks tossed the wand back to Harry who was standing still blinking stupidly as he tried to figure out what happened.

"Alright Harry, I guess we need to add wandless summoning to the list." Tonks drew her wand and Harry snapped into a ready position. Jake moved out of the way to one side.

Tonks threw a quick stunning spell at Harry and disillusioned herself while he was dodging the curse.

"Damn, where'd you go Nymphadora?" With his wand in hand, Harry scanned the room looking for his assailant. Seeing some movement out of the corner of his eye, Harry cast a stunning spell towards the figure there. Not expecting it to be reflected back, he had to dive to his right and barely avoided being hit.

As he was trying to stand he felt his wand get knocked from his hand and all the air leave his lungs as he was kicked in the chest, knocking him back to the ground where he was quickly pinned.

"Uncle! I give, I give."

Tonks grinned as she sat up on top of his chest and crossed her arms. "And what are you going to call me from now on?" she asked giving him a teasing glare.

"Well, not Nymphadora, I can tell you that," he replied.

Tonks let out a scowl and conjured a bucket of ice water which she held above his head.

"What was that Harry? I don't think I quite got that."

"Alright! Alright! Tonks!" he said holding his hands up to fend off the bucket.

A laughing Tonks dumped the bucket anyway gaining a yell from Harry before he was pleasantly surprised to find the bucket now contained confetti rather than ice water. Tonks laughed even harder as Harry let his body relax back to the floor with a loud groan.

Hearing clapping from the sidelines, Tonks realized the position she was in and jumped off Harry with a slight blush showing on her cheeks.

"Nice job. Of course I mean Tonks not you Harry," Jake said grinning.

Harry was scowling as he got up off the floor. "I guess we've got some work to do."

* * *

Dumbledore returned to his office in a pensive mood. The day's happenings swirled within his mind giving him no respite from the disconcerting events that had just taken place. Sitting in the comfy chair behind his desk he turned to face his companion. 

"Fawkes," he said gaining the attention of the beautiful phoenix.

Fawkes looked over at the Headmaster from where he was sitting on his perch and trilled a greeting.

A smile lit upon Dumbledore's features. He considered himself blessed to have such a companion. "Ah my friend, I would like to ask you about the comments you made earlier before I had to leave. I'm curious why you did not help me and what 'The Three' is.

A trill that Albus could only interpret as a sigh escaped Fawkes beak and he looked at the floor before closing his eyes for a minute. Eventually he returned his gaze to Albus. "I will not go against The Three. They are the bringers of magic. They are the givers of life. They are friends of fate."

"Please my friend, I fail to understand."

"I am sorry Albus but know this, I am more than just your familiar. We are bound and destined by fate. That which was once separate, residing within each of us is now one. I will not go against The Three, nor will I allow you to interfere in places where they do not wish you to tread."

Dumbledore was left in confusion once more as Fawkes rose from his perch leaving the office through an upper window as he had done earlier. As he watched his friend leave, Albus sat deep in thought about what Fawkes had said. He now knew there was much more going on than he had previously suspected, it appeared there was another group involved with the events that were currently taking place but he still did not know who. Far from having his questions answered, Fawkes had created more. He was very concerned that Fawkes had said he would prevent him from interfering. He wondered exactly what that meant.

* * *

Harry let out a loud groan as he let his body relax where he lay panting on the floor after finishing his workout the next morning. He was pretty sure Jake, who had left the room moments earlier, was some sort of sadistic weirdo who took great pleasure in torturing him. Looking up he found Tonks smiling down at him. 

"Come on Harry," she said offering him a hand up. "You need a shower."

Though perfectly happy to stay on the floor for the rest of his life, Harry accepted her hand and with a great deal of help managed to regain his feet.

"You gonna be alright, or do you want me to come give you hand in the shower?" Tonks said with a waggle of her eyebrows.

Too tired and sore to be embarrassed Harry fired right back. "That would be great Tonks, thanks."

Tonks heart fluttered in her chest at the thought and she couldn't help but blush much to Harry's amusement. 'Yes!' he thought, 'I finally got her!' He couldn't help but let out a laugh that earned him a smack on the shoulder.

"Down boy," she said shaking her head while grinning widely.

Leaving Harry where he was, Tonks began rummaging through his dresser finally pulling out a complete change of clothes for him to wear. "Here you go," she said handing him everything but the boxers. Holding them in both hands, she stretched the waist band several times while smiling coyly. "These ok Harry? Or would you rather have the green pair that match your eyes?"

Harry blushed in return and quickly grabbed the boxers out of her hands. "Ok, fine, you win," he said heading towards the door. As he was passing through the door he looked back over his shoulder. "I'll leave the door unlocked in case you change your mind."

Continuing down the hall to the bathroom, Harry couldn't help but laugh at the gob smacked expression Tonks had gotten on her face at his parting words. 'If only I was a bit older,' Harry thought.

Tonks body tingled at the thoughts Harry had left her with. Falling back onto her bed, she closed her eyes and daydreamed about taking him up on his offer. He was quickly becoming more comfortable and playful around her and she loved every minute of it. She suspected Harry still didn't know he was flirting but rather thought he was teasing as a friend would. While she wished it was actual flirting, she loved it all the same and would take whatever she could get.

Hearing excited high pitched hooting and the flapping of wings, Tonks opened her eyes and sat up to find a small ball of feathers zooming around the room with several letters attached to one leg.

"Come here you stupid bird," she muttered as she jumped around trying to catch the manic owl.

Finally getting frustrated she raised her hand in the air. "Accio owl!" she said.

The small bird flew directly into her hand and surprisingly didn't seem the least bit perturbed about being summoned. Shaking her head, she removed three letters that were attached to the bird's leg before walking to the window and throwing it out. Seeing they were all addressed to Harry, she placed them on the coffee table and took a seat on the couch to continue her daydreaming about Harry.

A few minutes later the boy in question returned to the room. He was still sore and tired but felt a lot better after the shower. He let out a long sigh as he threw himself onto the couch next to Tonks.

"Better?" she asked with a smile.

Harry turned his head towards her but didn't raise it from the back of the couch. "A little."

"Don't worry, it'll get better after you've done it for a week or two. Your body just needs a little time to get used to the new activity."

Harry nodded and continued to look at her causing her heart to flutter in her chest. "Umm, some letters came for you while you were in there," she finally managed to say. "I think it was your friend Ron's owl, Pig."

Grabbing them from the table, Tonks handed the letters to Harry who looked at each one briefly before he began opening them.

_Harry,_

_Hey mate. Summers only just started and I'm already hearing you're causing trouble. Nice one! So what's going on? Mum said something about you locking everyone out or something. She also mentioned Tonks is living with you now. Another nice one though mum's going spar about it. Oh well, send me a note and let me know what's going on._

_Later Harry,  
__Ron_

Harry laughed at his friend's note and handed it to Tonks looking forward to seeing her reaction. He wasn't disappointed when she rolled her eyes and groaned. Laughing quietly, Harry opened the next letter.

_Dear Harry,_

_I'd ask how your summer is going so far but from what I've heard is been pretty eventful. I was shocked to hear what happened with your uncle but glad Tonks was there to take care of it. So, she's staying with you for the summer? I'm not sure how good an idea that is but at least your relatives won't be able to do anything else._

_I also heard you have taken control of the wards around your house and won't let anyone in including Professor Dumbledore. What are you thinking Harry? The Order is only trying to help keep you safe and I really think you should let Professor Dumbledore handle things._

_When are you coming to HQ? I won't pretend to understand why the wards charged so quickly this summer but at least you can leave whenever you want to now. I'm going on vacation with my parents next week and won't be there until the end of July but I know Ron and Ginny would love to have you there with them and I look forward to seeing you too._

_Take care of yourself Harry, and please work things out with Professor Dumbledore._

_With Love,  
__Hermione_

Harry let out a growl as he finished Hermione's letter.

"Everything ok?" Tonks asked placing a hand on his arm.

Taking a deep breath, he handed the letter to Tonks. He was surprised how fast the anger had drained out of him at her touch.

Tonks grimaced as she read Hermione's letter. She couldn't believe how presumptuous the girl was. "Don't let it bother you Harry, she doesn't know the whole story. It sounds like they only told them enough to get them to try and talk you into leaving here."

"I know." he said letting out a sigh. He was glad she had placed her hand back on his arm again after reading the letter. "It's just… I don't know… frustrating."

"I know," Tonks replied giving his arm a little squeeze.

After giving her a smile in thanks for her support, Harry opened the final letter.

_Dear Harry,_

_I hope you're ok, sounds like it's been quite an exciting summer for you so far. If there's anything I can do to help, I'd be happy too._

_I heard you're living with Tonks now. Is that working out ok? Do your relatives mind her staying in the guest room? I'm glad they won't be able to ruin your summer with her there._

_Are you going to go to you know where soon? I hope so. We're staying at the Burrow until you move so there's not much to do until then. I look forward to seeing you again._

_Well, take care of yourself. I hope to see you soon._

_With Love,  
__Ginny_

This time it was Harry who groaned at the contents of the letter. Tonks was still holding onto his arm and had scooted up against him to read the letter over his shoulder. She couldn't help but let out a bit of a laugh at the letters contents.

"Please don't Tonks," Harry said.

"Sorry," she said contritely. Her heart started pounding in her chest and she was very nervous as she softly asked the question that was now foremost on her mind. "Do you… like her?"

The room was deathly quite for a very long minute before Harry responded. "Yes, but not like that. I know how she feels but I just don't feel that way about her. She's my best friend's little sister you know."

A huge feeling of relief passed through Tonks at his words and without even realizing what she was doing, she laid her head down on his shoulder. She realized the position she was in almost immediately but since he hadn't said anything she decided to go with it.

"Don't worry about it. She'll get over it," she said softly. 'But will I?' she thought to herself.

* * *

A few days later Harry, Tonks and Jake were sitting in their living area discussing magical spells when a bright flash of light appeared above the coffee table they all sat around. Looking up they found an incredibly beautiful blue phoenix hovering where he had appeared. They all smiled broadly enjoying the wonderful feelings the birds song invoked in them until he flew to Harry dropping a roll of parchments in his lap before settling down next to him on the arm of the sofa. 

Unable to help himself, Harry reached out and began stroking the phoenix plumage for a bit, enjoying the contented chirps it made. After a couple of minutes he turned his attention to the parchments in his lap.

Unrolling the bundle he looked at the first one and let out a loud gasp. "Wha… I… It can't…" he said stumbling to find the words as his heart raced in his chest and his breathing became labored. Not knowing what to think he kept looking back and forth between the parchments on his lap and the phoenix sitting next to him.

Harry's gasp had gotten Tonks and Jake's attention. Tonks looked on worriedly, wondering what she should do. She could see his hands shaking and hear the emotion in his voice and wondered what was on the papers he had received. A quick glance at Jake told her he was concerned as well but her attention swiftly returned to the raven haired man next to her.

The Phoenix started trilling softly and Harry felt himself begin to calm down. He wondered if the letters were for real and something about the Phoenix's song told him they were. With shaking hands he flipped through the parchments not daring to believe what he was seeing was true.

"Harry?" Tonks said softly as she placed a comforting hand on his arm.

Her touch calmed him further and he looked into her concern filled eyes with his own tear filled ones.

"Are you ok?" she asked carefully.

Harry took several deep breaths before looking back down at the parchments. "Yeah," he said barely loud enough to be heard. "They're letters."

Looking back up into Tonks eyes he continued. "From my parents and Sirius."


	7. Letters

**Chapter 7 - Letters**

Tonks felt the emotion rising in the room and could see in Harry's eyes he was feeling lost and confused, not knowing what to do. Acting on instinct, she pulled him into a hug and held him tightly, rubbing his back as he let the tears fall. After a little while his tears passed and he pulled away.

"Thanks," he said softly in a slightly embarrassed tone.

Tonks just smiled and stayed close to him while he looked back down to his letters. Taking a deep breath, he picked up the first one.

_To my sweet little boy,_

_I love you so much son and I'm so proud of you and everything you've done. I wish with all my heart that I could be there with you but we both know that isn't possible. I think about you every day and watch you as often as I can. You are the single best thing that has ever happened to me and I couldn't be any prouder of you and the man you have become despite everything you have had to go through. Know that I believe in you and the decisions you make and that there is nothing you could do that would make me think any less of you. I love you Harry, now and always._

_All my love,  
__Mama_

Tears were streaming down his face and he was all choked up as he finished the letter. Dropping the parchment, he placed his now free hand on top of Tonks which was holding onto his other arm and gave it a squeeze. She leaned harder against him and laid her head on his shoulder hoping to comfort him as much as she could. She was happy when she felt his head come down to rest on hers.

A few minutes later Harry managed to get his emotions back under control enough to continue and raised his head back up. Tonks followed suit and they shared a pained smile before he picked up the next letter.

_Hey little man,_

_I can't begin to tell you how proud I am of you son. I'm truly sorry that I can't be there for you and for what you've had to endure over the years but I couldn't have done a better job raising you myself. You've turned into an amazing young man and one I'm happy and proud to call my son. I love you Harry. I do have one bone to pick with you however, a little before your first birthday you said your first word, Mama. What was that about Harry? You said Dada not long after but still… Oh well, I guess I should actually be thanking you as you had a dirty nappy at the time and by saying her name, you got me out of changing you, so thanks for that son!_

_Know that I love you Harry and nothing will ever change that,  
__Dad_

The tears came again as did the lump in his throat, but his dad's story of his first words caused him to let out a bit of laughter and helped him get through this letter a little easier than the last one. His parents loved him and were proud of him. He'd been told they loved him more than life, but to actually hear it from them meant more to him than anything.

Sharing another smile with Tonks, he picked up the final letter. After what had happened a few weeks before, he was slightly worried about what this one might contain.

_Prongs Jr. my boy,_

_Damn it Harry! I've been able to see a bit of what you've been doing from up here since I've been gone and I want you to know right now I'm not thrilled about it. You did not kill me. You were not responsible in any way for my death so quit kicking yourself about it and start enjoying life. You came there to save me when you thought I was in trouble and that's what matters. When I heard you were in trouble I did the same. Got it? Good. Enough of that then._

_I don't think I ever told you how proud of you I was but I am. You've grown into an incredible young man and I'm glad I had a chance to get to know you. I also don't think I told you how much I love you Harry but I do. I fell in love with you the moment I laid eyes on you right after you were born. I was hooked instantly and have been ever since._

_I want you to know that these letters from your parents and your incredible, amazing and spectacularly handsome godfather are short for a reason. We were allowed to write you but not allowed to tell you anything about, well, much of anything. That really only leaves how much we care about you. Anyway, just so you know._

_I'm not supposed to do this but I'm a marauder and according to your dad I can't even pronounce the word 'rules' so what the hell. I'd like you to do your old godfather a favor Harry, call it a last request if you will. I want you snog the next girl you come into contact with senseless. It doesn't have to mean anything if you don't want it to but do it. Trust me, it'll help you feel better. I know I always felt better after a good game of tonsil hockey whether I was feeling bad before or not!_

_Take care of yourself Harry and tell that cousin of mine I said "Hi Nymphadora!"_

_Love ya kiddo,  
__Sirius_

Harry felt the pain of Sirius loss fade a little bit more with the reading of the letter. He didn't blame him. A smile found its way upon his face followed by a blush at his last request. Risking a look at Tonks who was still holding on to him he found her looking at him curiously.

"Harry?" she asked wondering about the redness in his cheeks.

"Ahh, er… maybe you should read this," he said handing Sirius letter to her.

Tonks took the letter and read what her cousin had written. She smiled fondly at the familiar writing glad that Harry had a chance to hear Sirius say these things even though she didn't understand how this happened. As she continued to read, her eyes opened wide and she got a blush of her own at his suggestion to Harry.

Looking up from the letter, she found Harry looking very nervous. He once again looked lost and confused as to what to do and she decided to help him out. She would definitely have to thank Sirius for this someday.

Tonks couldn't help but smile as she turned towards Jake. "Look away for a minute will you?" she asked.

Understanding the seriousness of the situation, Jake nodded and getting up from his chair went to the window to look outside for a few minutes.

Picking up the papers on Harry's lap, she set them aside on the coffee table. Turning back towards him, Tonks felt a nervous energy envelope her entire being. Licking her lips, she locked eyes with Harry before leaning towards him. She started simply, just brushing her lips against his before she added a bit of pressure and began slowly kissing him.

Her heart was pounding in her chest and she could practically feel the electricity running through her body as she felt Harry begin to move his lips with hers. Sliding up onto his lap, Tonks wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss.

Harry was nervous and surprised when Tonks leaned in and touched her lips to his before she began to kiss him. His entire body vibrated with what he could only describe as magic. Not having any real experience at kissing, he followed her lead, doing his best to move with her as she kissed him.

A minute later she shifted on the couch and much to his surprise climbed onto his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. Once again he followed her lead, wrapping his arms around her. Her body felt soft and warm in his arms and he felt his grip on her tighten as the kiss deepened.

Tonks skin felt like it was on fire where he touched her, it felt like a dream come true, a dream she never wanted to end. Her fingers found their way into his messy locks which she found were every bit as soft and smooth as she had imagined they would be. Parting her lips slightly, she waited and felt him match her. Still moving slowly, she gently slid her tongue between his parted lips and began softly caressing him. A groan escaped from deep within his throat at the intimate contact and it sent a thrill through her body to know he was responding to her like this.

Harry's head was spinning from the amazing kiss. A kiss from a woman he had dreamed about many times, even before she had come to Privet Drive. He was quick to note that the kiss they were sharing was far better than any dream he had ever had. He felt the loss of her immediately as she withdrew her tongue but felt his heart flutter when after a few more kisses she parted her lips against his and waited. Tentatively he tried his best to remember what she had done and carefully slid his tongue across her lips to return the caresses she had just given him.

A thrill went through Tonks body as Harry slipped his tongue inside her mouth and gently began tasting and exploring her. She felt him pulling back and let a whimper escape her throat. Spurred on by the sounds she was making, he slid his tongue back in where it was met with hers.

They continued to kiss for a while longer before the need for air caused them both to part. They stayed close, their arms still wrapped around each other for a long minute while they stared into each others eyes and tried to catch their breath.

"Thanks Tonks, that was amazing," Harry said softly in an emotion filled voice as he continued to look deep into her eyes.

A soft smile found its way onto Tonks face as she stared back. "Any time Harry," she replied just as softly. 'And I mean any time,' she thought.

After staring into each other's eyes for a little bit longer, Tonks gave Harry another soft kiss before sliding off his lap. He immediately felt the loss of her warmth and cursed his being younger than her but swore to thank Sirius if he ever got the chance. He was right, Harry did feel better. Leaning over, he picked up the pile of parchment and glanced over the three letters again before looking at the last piece.

"Oh my god." Harry exclaimed as he read the top of the sheet.

"What is it?" Tonks asked worriedly.

Hearing Harry's exclamation, Jake had immediately returned to the group. "Harry?"

Harry's head looked up from the parchment he was reading and his eyes met both Tonks and Jakes briefly before returning to the document he was carefully holding. "It's a rite," he said before looking up again. "An immortality rite."

Tonks gasped and leaned in to look at what was written on the page. A moment later Jake was on Harry's other side reading the same parchment. As they finished reading, Tonks sat back in shock and Jake let out a whistle before returning to his seat.

"Do you think that means…" Tonks said to Harry.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, I think it does, I think he is."

A deafening silence filled the room for several long minutes before Jake finally broke it. "What do you think about this Harry?"

Harry let out a deep breath. "I don't know. I know it would help, but I don't know if I really want to live forever."

Jake nodded in understanding. "A few down sides do come to mind. For instance you would get to watch everyone you care about grow old and die."

"And everyone who cares about you would have to go on without you." Tonks added softly. "You would never get to see Sirius or your parents again."

"I… I don't know if I could do that," Harry replied morosely.

"It's a lot to think about Harry. I wouldn't even begin to try and make a decision right now. Take your time and think about it," Jake said.

Harry replied with a simple nod. Picking up the letters, he read them several more times each before storing them safely in his trunk with the picture album Hagrid had given him long ago. Turning around he found Tonks and Jake watching him.

"Are you ok Harry?" Tonks asked.

"Yeah," Harry replied with a genuine smile on his face, "I really am."

* * *

The next week passed relatively slowly. Harry had responded to Ron, Hermione and Ginny's letters letting them know he was fine and not to worry. Though he didn't list any specifics, he let them know that there was a lot more going on than they had been told and he would see them when he could. 

Harry continued to work out under Jake's direction every day and after a week and a half was beginning to get used to the extra work. Just as Jake had predicted, Harry's magic was helping his body grow into what it needed to be to handle the weight training. While the magic helped with his body, it was still a slow process and Harry knew it would take a long time for him to get where he needed to be.

For a couple of days after their kiss, things had been a little awkward between Harry and Tonks but her normal joviality wasn't easily suppressed and things quickly returned to normal. They worked on their magic together every day, normally with Jake looking on so that he would have a good idea of what their capabilities were and what they could do in a fight.

Tonks had bought up every foe glass she could find and began linking them to various sites around Great Britain. She started with the largest targets such as Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade, St. Mungo's and the like and once they were covered moved on to other targets they believed might be a priority for Voldemort's Death Eaters such as Harry's friends or muggle born homes.

With each foe glass, Tonks would setup one of the two part portkeys they had discussed, activating the first part so that any wards the Death Eaters cast would not keep them out. They discovered having the portkeys connected to the destination would slowly drain the magic out of them but the problem was easily fixed by recharging them about once a week.

_

* * *

Shacklebolt, _

_I need some help and you said to ask. Meet me outside the Ministry at noon today, please come alone._

_PS. Burt's a dick, thanks again for helping out with that._

Kingsley Shacklebolt laughed out loud as he read the PS on the letter he had just received. He had wondered at first who the unsigned note was from but the PS had cleared up all his questions concerning their identity. Looking at his watch he realized it was almost noon and quickly left his office.

It didn't take him long to exit the building and begin looking for the girl in question. Being lunch time there were many people bustling about in every possible direction and all he could think was that he would have to let her find him.

Kingsley was still scanning the crowd when an incredibly sexy witch who looked to be in about her mid to late thirties bumped into him spilling the contents of her purse on the ground.

"I'm sorry ma'am, please let me give you a hand," he said kneeling down to help her pick up her things.

"By the way," he continued in a whisper, "I saw you trip over the bottom step down there Tonks."

Tonks growled though inside she was laughing knowing she had tripped on purpose, making sure that Kingsley saw her do it. "Bugger. I figured you'd be looking for an old hag and I could fool you with this form."

Kingsley couldn't help but let out a chuckle as the pair finished picking up Tonks things and stood up. "Ma'am, I'm truly sorry for bumping into you and would be honored if you would let me buy you lunch to make up for it."

"Well, I suppose. But you looked like you were waiting for someone," she said shooting Kingsley a mischievous glance.

A small roll of his eyes almost made her laugh out loud. "Yes but they will just have to wait for it's not every day I get to spend the noontime meal in such lovely company."

Holding out his arm he waited for Tonks to take it before dual apparating them away. The pair reappeared in an alleyway in muggle London and Kingsley led Tonks to a nearby diner. After placing their orders, Kingsley cast a silencing spell around their booth and looked at his friend.

"So, what's with the cloak and dagger routine Tonks?"

"Sorry," she said with a sigh, "but I'm not keen to run into anyone from the Ministry or Order right now."

"Like me you mean?" he said getting a chuckle from Tonks.

"Well, you said if I needed anything," Tonks said after she stopped laughing.

"I meant it. What do you need?"

"I need one of the maps the Ministry uses to track the unforgivables."

Kingsley's eyebrows rose in surprise at the request though a second later he realized her request wasn't all that shocking considering what she was currently involved with. "So you really are planning on going after the Death Eaters then?"

Tonks nodded. "Kingsley? Can you keep anything I tell you in this meeting between us?"

The bald auror gave her an appraising look for several minutes before letting out a sigh and nodding in acceptance. "Yeah, I suppose."

"We have a way to track individual locations and transport past any wards the Death Eaters setup when they arrive but there's no way we can protect everyone that way, there's just too many places they can hit. We need something more general to fill in the gaps and this is the only thing I can come up with."

Kingsley nodded in understanding. "Makes sense. You realize of course that the Aurors will also be responding to what you see on this map and once you've killed some Death Eaters we will probably be ordered to bring you in as well."

Tonks sighed. "Yeah but we should be able to respond quicker and we do have a fairly fool proof escape plan, besides, I just don't know that we have any other options for this."

With the business out of the way, Kingsley and Tonks enjoyed a much more casual conversation while they enjoyed their noon time meal. Eventually they finished and returned to the alley they had appeared in. They were about to apparate away when Kingsley grabbed Tonks arm.

"Oh damn, I almost forgot. You're little stunt with the wards at Harry's and what you're planning has the Order all worked up. Half think we should bring you all in and the other half think we should let you get to it."

Tonks looked at her friend's hand where he was holding her arm before looking back up at him. "Which half are you in?"

Kingsley looked at her curiously before following her gaze which had returned to his hand. Letting go he smiled and shook his head. "Sorry, I didn't mean it that way. I think you're doing what needs to be done. I just wanted you to know because while at the moment a decision concerning you hasn't been made, that doesn't mean it won't change."

"Thanks Kingsley."

"Any time Tonks. I told you if you needed anything, I meant it then and still do. If things change within the Order I'll find a way to get word to you."

After giving Kingsley a quick hug, Tonks disappeared from the alley.

* * *

Returning from her lunch with Kingsley, Tonks engaged Harry in another one of their lengthy sessions learning magic. She was amazed at how easily he picked up the spells she was showing him. At first she had tried to teach him the theory behind the magic so that he would understand how the spells worked, but she quickly realized Harry was much better with practical application and it didn't take her long to completely give up on the theory portion. 

Dinner came and went and it was starting to get dark when a brown owl flew in through the window, landing on the coffee table in front of Tonks. After removing a large scroll from the owls extended leg, it flew back out the window. Unrolling the large heavy parchment on the table, Tonks was unsurprised to find it was the map Kingsley had agreed to get them. A small, unsigned, one line note was attached to one corner.

_Tonks - Hope this helps, and you're right, Burt is a dick._

After letting out a small chuckle, Tonks began examining the map. "Well it's not much but at least we can track the unforgivables now."

"How will we know when someone uses one?" Harry asked as he leaned forward to take a look.

"A red dot will appear wherever ones cast and the map will buzz." Tonks replied.

"Have either of you come up with any ideas concerning the Dementors?" Jake asked.

"No, not really," Harry said with a sigh.

"What about chopping their heads off or setting them on fire. I've come across very few problems of that sort that couldn't be solved with a good old fashioned Molotov cocktail." Jake said with a grin.

Harry and Tonks both let out a chuckle. "The problem is they're actually a sort of spirit, more like ghosts than physical beings so the normal stuff doesn't work. Muggles can't even see them," Tonks said in way of explanation.

"Ahh, I see. Well, what about stuff that works on ghosts? Could you do an exorcism or something like that?"

"An exorcism removes a spirit from a person, so that wouldn't really help. I don't know of any way to kill or banish a ghost seeing as they're already dead. Might be worth looking into but I wouldn't count on it. As far as anyone knows, the only way to affect a Dementor is through the use of the Patronus charm and that only drives them away."

"Hmmm… Well, that isn't going to be good enough, we need a way to destroy them so they can't help old Voldy any longer," Jake replied scratching his head.

As they continued to ponder the Dementor issue an odd ringing sound echoed through the room, instantly gaining the attention of the group. As one they jumped to their feet and ran to the wall where their many foe-glasses were hanging. One of the glasses had a glowing red border and was emitting the ringing sound they had heard.

Stepping forward, Jake rapped the glass with his knuckles stopping the alarm though the red border remained. Removing a necklace that hung below the mirror, he held it out for Harry and Tonks to take hold of. Having already drawn their wands, they were ready to go.

"Last chance to opt out." Jake said as he drew his knife.

Receiving no response other than a look of determination from Harry and Tonks, Jake smiled. "Creevey. Seven targets."

They all took positions facing outward and Tonks reached back and tapped the portkey with her wand causing them all to disappear from Privet Drive.

* * *

Margie Thayer sat in the living room of the Creevey household smiling brightly. On her lap sat a pad of paper and what appeared to be a muggle pen though it was writing on its own, taking down every word of the conversation she was having with the interesting family. 

"So you have how many pictures of Harry?" Margie asked. She had to draw on all her years of experience as a reporter to keep from laughing out loud at the overly enthusiastic Harry Potter fan before her.

"I'm not really sure," Collin replied, "last time I counted it was almost two thousand."

'My god.' she thought as she forced herself to not let out the snort of laughter that was threatening to spill out of her. 'There's enthusiastic but this is practically stalking!'

"I don't suppose you could give me a few choice photo's from your collection? The Daily Prophet would of course pay you a fee for any pictures we decide to print."

Collin looked like he was about to burst and as she finished. Shooting out of his seat, he practically bounced out of the living room.

"I'm sorry. He gets a little bit carried away sometimes," Collin's mom Miranda said to Margie with a soft smile as she rolled her eyes.

Margie couldn't help but chuckle softly at her words. "Oh don't worry about it. It's wonderful to hear from someone who thinks so highly of Harry."

"You sound like you know him." Miranda said taking a sip of her tea.

A motherly smile found its way onto her face as fond memories resurfaced. "Well, sort of. I was friends with his mother Lily, we went to school together."

"Oh? I didn't think you were from around here, you sound American."

"I am. I was a transfer student and only attended Hogwarts for my last two years. We were great friends. I stayed in London for awhile after school but went back to America after Harry's first birthday."

"Dennis! Have you been in my room!" the two women heard echo from upstairs where Collin was rummaging around collecting pictures.

After sharing a short laugh Miranda set her tea down. "So what brings you back to Great Britain?"

Margie let out a sigh as her smile faded. "I heard about how the press has been treating Harry and decided someone needed to do something about it. I think he's been treated incredibly unfairly considering all he's done for the wizarding world. Bunch of hypocrites if you ask me. Anyway, since I couldn't get anyone in Britain to help I packed up my things and here I am."

She drifted off, reliving some more memories for a few minutes before looking back towards her host. "Lily took me under her wing and helped me find a place here when no one else would give the 'crazy American' the time of day. I'll never forget her and will do whatever I can to help her son."

A minute later Collin came scampering down the stairs causing the women to share another smile at his enthusiasm. Margie's eyes opened wide when he placed a shoebox full of pictures on her lap. "Wow."

Collin grinned widely. "You can have those. I've got more copies of everything."

"Thank you very much Collin."

She was about to start looking through the photo's when a series of loud booms outside caused the entire house to shake.

"Stay down." Margie said drawing her wand as she jumped up from her seat. Miranda instantly dropped to the floor but Collin ran back up the stairs.

Moving to the back of the house where she was hearing the noise, Margie cast an unbreakable charm on the windows and crept forward. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Margie risked a look over the window sill and gasped in shock at what she saw.

* * *

Harry, Tonks and Jake appeared and immediately spotted a loose group of Death Eaters standing in the back yard of the Creevey's home. Two had their wands in the air and were busy casting wards around the house while the other five looked on. They had appeared next to a shed in one corner of the back yard and were happy to note their arrival had gone unnoticed. 

Shoving the portkey in his pocket, Jake left the pair sneaking around the side of the house and out of view to make sure their were no other Death Eaters anywhere about that could catch them unawares. As soon as he was out of sight, Harry and Tonks attacked.

Blasting curses erupted from their wands killing three Death Eaters and wounding another before they even knew they were under attack. The two casting wards immediately stopped and began hurling curses towards their assailants as did the two others.

Tonks dove for cover behind a low stone wall that surrounded a small garden while Harry went the other direction taking cover behind a large tree. Dropping to the ground, Harry leaned out from behind the tree and sent another blasting hex at the Death Eaters eliminating another of their number. Tonks animated a three foot tall garden statue that was nearby and sent it at the Death Eaters giving them another target to worry about.

They traded several more spells with the Death Eaters before Harry noticed the one who had been injured was crawling across the ground, sneaking up on Tonks who because of her cover was unaware of the approaching danger. Jumping out from behind his cover, Harry cast a quick bone shattering hex at each of the Death Eaters he was fighting before casting a shield charm on himself and sprinting across the lawn. Jumping over the wall where Tonks was hiding, he cast a cutting curse at the already injured Death Eater removing his wand arm at the shoulder. Spinning around he realized he didn't know where the two he had been fighting were.

"Clear!" Jake yelled from across the back yard.

"Clear!" Tonks called out from behind where Harry was standing.

Breathing heavily it was a moment before he finally called out in kind. "Clear!"

Coming out from their cover, Jake and Tonks checked the bodies of the Death Eaters to make sure they were no longer a threat. All seven were dead. After checking the last one, Jake stepped up to Harry where he was staring down at the Death Eater who had bled to death after he had hexed him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You did the right thing Harry," he said. He knew where Tonks had been hiding and could tell by the position of the body what had happened.

Harry looked lost as he looked up and was shaking slightly.

"It was them or us Harry. Would you have rather it been the people in the house that died? Or Tonks? No. You did what you needed to do."

Swallowing heavily Harry managed to nod. "What happened to the other two?"

"I took care of them," Jake said.

"That's seven then?" Tonks asked.

Jake shook his head. "No, it's eight. I found one hiding in a bush in the front yard. Probably there in case anyone ran out the front."

Hearing the back door open, the three took defensive positions. Harry cast a shield while Jake crouched down with a knife in one hand and Tonks had a wand in each of her hands pointed at the door.

"No! Wait!" a female voice yelled. Looking towards the house they saw a tall lanky brunette with her arms in the air.

"Identify yourself." Jake said while Harry and Tonks separated taking up new defensive positions.

"Margie Thayer. I'm a reporter with the Daily Prophet." she replied.

A flash appeared from one of the upper windows of the house and Harry couldn't help but let out a groan.

"Harry?" Margie asked.

"Yeah, do I know you?"

"Not since you were one. I was friends with your mom in school."

"You knew my mum?" he asked. There was hope in his voice and Margie couldn't help but smile.

Before she could answer, the sound of wizard's apparating into the area began to echo around the group. "Don't move!" a deep voice ordered from behind them.

"Emergency Evac!" Tonks quickly said causing all of their emergency portkeys to activate.

A moment later they were all standing in Harry's room instead of the Creevey's back yard. They all stood in silence for a few minutes while Jake took a quick look at the mirrors making sure there were no other attacks. He noticed the Creevey mirror was back to normal, no longer showing any threats in the area. When he was sure that everything was ok, he turned his attention back to Harry.

Tonks eyes never left the boy next to her. She was worried about him. He was clearly taking what had happened very hard. She couldn't believe he had charged out from his cover to save her, it warmed her heart to think he had done that for her.

"Tonks," Jake said as he took in the sight of his family, "make me a portkey." Pulling the necklace they had used earlier out of his pocket, he handed it to her.

"Where too?" she asked as she raised her wand.

"You know where." he replied giving her a serious look.

After staring at her friend for a minute she nodded and tapped the necklace. "Portus."

Holding the necklace in front of her she looked back to Harry. "Grab hold Harry."

When all of them had a hand on it she tapped the portkey with her wand and once again they all disappeared from Privet Drive re-appearing a moment later behind some trash bins in a small alley.

"Where are we?" Harry asked as he looked around.

"This is where I met Jake," Tonks said.

"Come on." Jake said before leading them out of the alley and down the street to the bar he had taken Tonks too that day.

Leading them down to the end of the bar where he and Tonks had sat the last time, he pushed Harry down onto a stool and turned to the bar man once again simply stating "Whiskey," as he threw a pile of pound notes on the bar.

The barman picked up a bottle and three glasses before heading down the bar towards the small group. As he approached his eyes narrowed. "He's a little bit young isn't he?" he said to Jake.

Jake threw a fifty pound note on the bar. "No."

Nodding in understanding, he poured three drinks and placed the bottle on the counter before picking up the fifty and returning to where he had been tending his other customers.

Picking up his glass, he waited for Harry and Tonks to follow suit before raising it in salute. "To the next great adventure."

* * *

A while later the three left the bar slightly tipsy. They didn't get as drunk as Jake and Tonks had the night they had met but still managed to get pretty loopy. Just like he had done with Tonks, Jake talked to Harry about death and helped him with what he was going through. As they walked back towards the alley, Jake got a large grin on his face and steered them towards a small shop they were passing by. 

"Come on guys, let's get tats," Jake said as he disappeared into the store.

Harry and Tonks weren't sure what he was talking about but shared a quick grin and a shrug of the shoulders before following him in. As they entered the small shop, they found the walls were covered with artwork and various designs.

"Oh, tattoos," Tonks said as she looked around. "What should we get Harry?"

They quickly decided to get the tattoo on their left forearms to mock the dark mark Voldemort placed on his followers but were having trouble agreeing on a design. They had been looking for a long while when there was a flash of flame in the air above the main counter and the blue phoenix appeared.

"What the fuck!" the burley man behind the counter said jumping back in shock at the birds appearance.

Before anyone could respond, the phoenix began to weave its song and the muggle artist relaxed, no longer realizing that what he was seeing should only be a myth. After a minute, the phoenix turned towards Harry and offered him a small piece of parchment he was carrying.

Stepping forward still smiling from the heart lifting song of the phoenix, Harry took the offered paper and looked at its contents. "Perfect." he said when he saw the design.

Tonks and Jake stepped forward as Harry held up the drawing and couldn't help but agree. The rendering was of a blue phoenix identical to the one who had brought the drawing. Its wings were extended straight out to the sides of its body and its head was turned sideways showing its handsome profile. When tattooed the body would be on their forearm with the wings wrapping around their arm until the tips just touched.

Turning back to the shop owner, Harry handed him the drawing. "We all want this."

The still slightly stunned man accepted it and led them to the back room. Harry went first, taking a seat in the chair next to the artist. The phoenix followed them in to the back room, taking a perch on the arm of the chair to Harry's right. As the artist worked, the phoenix sang softly and Harry felt no pain.

An hour and a half later, the artist wiped the last of the blood off the now finished tattoo and smiled. "That's some of my best work."

Before he could get a bandage for Harry's arm, the phoenix had moved to Harry's lap and began shedding pearly tears on the new tattoo. As the first tear fell, two more blue phoenix's appeared in a flash of flame much to everyone's amazement. Hovering just in front of Harry, the pair broke into a song as the first one continued to cry on Harry's new tattoo. As the song grew, Harry's arm began to glow and he could feel a tingle of magic entering the artwork.

A minute later the phoenix tears stopped and the song faded away. Their task complete, the hovering phoenix split up, one each flying to Tonks and Jake, landing on their shoulders while the one in Harry's lap moved to perch on his shoulder.

"Wow," Harry whispered in awe as he looked back and forth between his new tattoo and the phoenix on his shoulder.

It took several minutes for everyone to overcome the shock of what had happened, but eventually Harry gave up the chair so Tonks and Jake could get their new marks. With each of them the phoenix's repeated their performance, healing the new artwork and turning them magical though none of them had any idea what they would do.

When they were all finished, the phoenix all flew into the air and after giving a final trill of song, disappeared in another burst of flame. Stepping towards the artist, Jake gave him all the rest of his cash, many times more than the cost of the tattoos.

"Thanks," the man said happily. "What was that by the way?"

With a sad look on his face, Jake let out a sigh and stepped aside while Tonks drew her wand. "Obliviate!"

Leaving the artist with a blank look on his face and a hand full of cash, the three used their portkeys to return to Privet Drive.

* * *

Margie Thayer stormed though the halls of the Daily Prophet with a look of fury on her face and a crumpled up edition of the paper in her hand. Completely ignoring the secretary's pleas, she threw open the door to the Chief Editors office and stomped up to his desk, throwing the crumpled up paper down in front of the alarmed wizard. 

"What the hell is this?" she practically shouted pointing at the paper she had just thrown down.

"Um, ah, I don't know what you mean…" Burkhart said nervously.

"I mean what the hell is a cut down version of my story doing on page eight while Skeeter's story about the attack is on page one. For Christ sakes she wasn't even there and I was but you cut out that portion of my story completely!" Margie fumed.

"Now Thayer, you were to do a story about Harry Potter, not a Death Eater attack," he replied in the same nervous tone.

"Bullshit. Besides, Harry was there so technically it was a story about Harry Potter."

"You listen here, I'm the Editor and you're the Reporter so you're…" Burkhart trailed off and leaned back as Margie placed her balled up fists on his desk and leaned forward. Her eyes were narrowed in anger and he could feel the magic bleeding off her.

"No, you listen to me you half wit," she practically hissed, "my story is going to run up front with no changes and that crap Rita wrote is getting scrapped you understand!"

Burkhart tried to say something but was cut off before he could even begin. "Before you get any high handed ideas about who's in charge, let me make myself perfectly clear about how things are going to work with me. I have loads of contacts and friends in the international press most of whom owe me large favors. With a single call I could reduce this paper to a smoldering ruin. A worthless rag they wouldn't recycle into newsprint for use by the Quibbler. From now on all stories concerning Harry Potter or the Death Eaters go through me and I'll decide where they appear in the paper. Got it!"

The editor swallowed heavily before nodding in acceptance. He had angered a lot of people over the years succumbing to Minister Fudge's wishes regarding the stories that appeared in his paper, but right now he was far more scared of the witch in front of him and her pull with the international press which he was all to well aware of, it had after all been the main reason he had hired her.

Without another word, Margie left the office slamming the door behind her while Burkhart began scrambling to rework the morning edition. With her back turned to him, he was unable to see the grin she wore as she left the small room.

* * *

Harry woke and began stretching the night's stiffness away when he noticed the incredible artwork surrounding his left forearm. Unable to resist, he spent a long while examining the phoenix. Eventually he decided he had been lazy enough and got out of bed to meet the day. Pulling on some sweats, he cast a quick silencing spell around the still sleeping form of Tonks. He couldn't help but marvel at how beautiful and content she looked when she slept and finally had to shake himself out of his daydreams and force himself away from the sleeping beauty's side. Walking across the room, he sat on a thick rubbery matt and began stretching to prepare for the workout ahead. 

Tonks and Jake had both joined him part way through his exercises and had even spent some time working on physical combat before they began taking turns in the shower. Harry was the last to come out and was met by a grinning Tonks who was holding the morning edition of the Daily Prophet.

"Harry! You've got to read this!" she said excitedly as she forced the paper into his hands and drug him to the couch.

After sending her an amused grin, he turned his attention to the paper he now held.

_Daily Prophet  
__Harry Potter And The Fight For What's Right  
__by Margie Thayer_

_While working on a story detailing the life of Harry Potter this reporter had the misfortune to be at the location of a Death Eater attack._

_It took place at the home of a muggle born student who attends Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. During the interview a series of loud explosions vibrated the entire house. Fearing the worst, I had everyone take cover and went to take a look. As it turns out, eight Death Eaters were in the process of warding the home before they would no doubt torture and kill its occupants when none other than Harry Potter himself showed up to save the day._

_Accompanied by two unidentified individuals, Mr. Potter engaged the Death Eaters in a bloody battle and no doubt saved the lives of the family and myself. All of the Death Eaters taking part in the raid were killed. Unfortunately before I had a chance to speak with the young hero, Ministry Aurors arrived on the scene and Mr. Potter and his friends were forced to leave._

_The Ministry has issued no statement concerning the attack or Mr. Potters participation in said attack. All attempts to speak with Ministry officials were unproductive and all messages have gone unanswered._

_While there no doubt are those who will say he has gone to far, this reporter and many here on the staff of the Daily Prophet would like to thank Mr. Potter and his friends for taking action. For too long the Death Eaters have gone unchecked and it's good to see someone finally has the strength and courage to fight back. For more information on Harry Potter please follow my ongoing column on page two._

A photo accompanied the article that was obviously taken by Collin from an upper window in his house and showed Harry, Tonks and Jake scanning the grounds with their weapons in hand. All around them were the bodies of the Death Eaters who had attacked.

"Isn't this brilliant Harry!" Tonks said bubbling with excitement.

Harry couldn't help but agree. "Definitely. It's nice to finally have someone at the prophet who doesn't seem to think I'm a nut job."

"We'll need to add some mirrors for her and some of the Prophets other staff. They'll probably be targets now," Jake said.

Before they had a chance to discuss the article further, an alarm sounded and the group jumped up to find that Hogsmeade was under attack.

"Damnit." Jake said as he retrieved the portkey. "Looks to be fifteen or twenty."

Harry and Tonks nodded gravely as they drew their wands and gathered around the portkey.

"Remember, when it gets to be too much get the hell out. Live to fight another day. We can't help anyone if we're dead, got it?"

Receiving looks of understanding and acceptance from his companions, Jake nodded to Tonks and she activated the portkey.


	8. Ginny Weasley

**Chapter 8 – Ginny Weasley**

After taking a deep breath, Ginny let out a long sigh of contentment. Standing invisible in the shadows to one side of the stands surrounding the Quidditch pitch she watched the object of her affection as he swooped and dove, spun and twisted, and performed incredible tricks in an amazing display of aerial prowess.

She had loved the boy for as long as she could remember having listened to the stories of "The Boy Who Lived" since she was a little girl. Perhaps it had only been a crush on her hero at one time, but after meeting him in person and then being saved by him during her first year, it had grown into so much more. It was too bad, she thought, that he only knew she existed as Ron's baby sister.

Ginny had watched him from afar since she started at Hogwarts. She knew what classes he had and when they were. She knew what his favorite foods were and what he liked to drink with them. She knew everything there was to know about Harry Potter including the fact that he much preferred beautiful dark haired Asian women with perfect curves to short red heads who were covered with freckles and built like a boy.

Her breath hitched and she felt her heart climb into her throat as she watched Harry zoom towards the ground seemingly spinning out of control. A moment later she inhaled deeply and relaxed as he pulled out of the dive at the last possible second skimming the ground with his feet and laughing out loud as he once again zipped towards the sky.

Ginny had no idea how he still managed to surprise, frighten and amaze her when he was flying. She had been watching him from her hiding place for years and knew he was in no danger but somehow he always managed to get her adrenaline pumping.

As she continued to watch with a small smile playing on her soft features she saw him fly through the left hoop closest to where she was standing before making a slow turn and flying through the hoop furthest away from her and zipping down to the other end of the pitch and out of sight.

She stayed in her hiding place, not worried at all. Students were only allowed to fly within the confines of the Quidditch pitch, but Harry never seemed to give much thought to the rules and often left the pitch's boundaries for a few minutes at a time. She knew he would return soon.

A minute passed by and then two as she continued her vigil. She was about to decide he had finished flying and left for the castle when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Spinning around her breath hitched in her throat. She was starting to babble nonsensical excuses when fingertips were pressed to her lips stopping her.

"Shhhhhh."

Ginny's breath hitched in her chest and her heart pounded wildly as she stared up into the hypnotic green eyes that were staring back. She felt a trail of magical fire burn its way across her face as Harry's fingers brushed a stray piece of hair away, tucking it carefully behind her ear. As she continued to stare at the boy who she had so recently been watching fly and dreaming about, he took a step back sending a brief feeling of loss through her.

The feeling passed quickly as she felt his right hand slide from her shoulder down her arm and take hold of her hand pulling her along with him as he took several steps backward. He never broke eye contact as he held up his left hand and silently summoned his broom.

Ginny watched as he slid onto his broom with a practiced ease before pulling her forward and helping her onto the broom in front of him. She shook slightly as she felt him wrap an arm around her waist and pull her body close to his. A feeling of lightheadedness passed over her as she thought about and felt the intimate contact of their two bodies being pressed together by Harry's firm but comforting grip around her petite waist. The feeling intensified and for a moment she thought she might even pass out as he slid his other hand between her legs grabbing hold of the broom's handle and pushing off from the ground.

"Relax," she heard him whisper into her ear. The feeling of his breath brushing across her ear and cheek sent shivers through her body.

They flew out from the shadows beside the stands where she had been watching him and across the pitch until Harry began to pull back on the broom while pushing it faster and faster. Ginny was in heaven as the clouds came closer until she felt she could almost reach out and touch one. Her hands seemed to slide from her lap of their own volition moving across and up his thighs and behind her reaching around his back. Becoming more comfortable as they continued their ascent, Ginny relaxed leaning back into Harry's chest.

The broom slowed as Harry let the power drop off until their momentum fell away all together and they began slipping backward. Ginny wasn't worried and merely snuggled deeper into Harry's chest as they began falling. Harry pulled the tip of the broom further back still until they had fallen over completely and were pointed straight at the ground.

Ginny saw the world begin to spin around her as Harry pushed a littler power into the broom making it go faster towards the ground while also tilting to one side to make it spin around its axis. Her heart began pounding again as she realized he was performing a stunt she had watched him do many times before but mostly because he had tightened his grip around her waist.

At the last possible instant, the broom veered away from the ground into a level flight leaving Ginny exhilarated from the experience as Harry took her out of the stadium and across the school grounds. Her smile was bright enough to light up the sky as they flew above the many students and teachers who were outside enjoying the beautiful weather. She knew Harry was going to get into trouble for flying outside the pitch like this but she also knew he didn't care. He was doing this for her, trouble be damned, and the thought made her heart soar even more.

They flew down low over the lake and Ginny turned her head back to give Harry a smile as he released the broom and grabbed her hand. Holding it out to one side, he steered the broom with his legs making a large slow circle low over the lake and leaning to one side so their connected hands just brushed the surface of the water creating a large circle in the otherwise smooth surface of the water. Heaven was all Ginny could think to compare it to as she lived the dream.

After making a few lazy circles over the lake, Ginny felt Harry right the broom before he released her hand replacing his back on the broom and flying away from the lake. A surge of speed pushed her back into the boy that held her securely and once again she could feel the adrenaline flowing through her veins as her heart began pounding wildly.

Faster and faster they flew away from the lake and across the grounds, the excitement building as they went. Her breath hitched and she let out a gasp as Harry made a sharp turn flying directly into the Forbidden Forest.

Ginny's heart rate continued to increase until she could hear its pounding in her ears. Her chest heaved at the unexpected excitement as Harry dodged bushes and trees all the while making the broom go faster and faster. She had no idea where they were as he pushed the broom on gripping her tightly as he executed each turn to avoid the obstacles in their path.

All at once, just as the excitement of the moment with Harry was reaching a crescendo, they broke through the canopy and Ginny found them flying high above Hogwarts. She barely had time to realize where they were when Harry picked her up and spun her around to sit sideways on his lap wrapping both arms tightly around her.

Every thought left her as their eyes connected and Harry let go of her with his right hand bringing it up to brush the errant hair from her face. She felt his hand slide into her hair at the back of her head as she continued to stare into his gorgeous green eyes.

They were in a slow flat spin high above the castle and grounds but Ginny barely noticed the world revolving around her as Harry leaned in, ever so slowly pulling her closer and closer until their lips finally touched.

A feeling she could barely even begin to describe flowed through her entire body as the kiss deepened. Time seemed to stop and it felt like every nerve in her body was on fire, tingling with the magic of his lips on hers. It seemed to go on forever but ended far too quickly as well.

Her mind and body felt as if they were in another place, a place far from the everyday happenings that normally filled the hours of her day, a place that existed in dreams and poets described in sonnets. She continued to stare into green eyes that were filled with a passion for her and slowly the world around her stopped spinning. Barely aware of what was happening she felt Harry guide her off his broom and as her feet hit solid stone she realized she was on top of the astronomy tower.

She watched as he reached into his robes removing a single red rose which he held out for her to take. He didn't immediately let go when she took hold but moved in to place another soft kiss on her lips before releasing the flower. As he slowly floated away, he sent her a smile that made her stomach flutter and her heart pound.

* * *

Ginny woke with a smile on her lips. As usual she had been having a wonderful dream featuring none other than the black haired, emerald eyed boy she'd had a crush on for as long as she could remember. 

She lay in her bed for a long while thinking about her dream and the young man it featured. She almost giggled out loud as her feelings for him welled up within her. Finally deciding it was time to start her day, Ginny leapt lightly out of her bed absently noticing with a small amount of sadness that there was no red rose on her nightstand.

Moving to her dresser, she began rummaging through it finally picking out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt to wear. Leaving her room, she made her way down the hall to the bathroom, took a shower and dressed quickly before heading downstairs to help her mum with breakfast.

"Good morning dear," Molly said as her youngest entered the kitchen.

"Morning mum."

"You had a bit of a lie in, are you feeling alright dear?"

"I'm fine, just didn't feel like getting up this morning."

Molly smiled knowingly at her daughter as she noticed the happiness she was exuding. "I don't suppose it had anything to do with the dreams you've been having lately?"

A blush crept up on Ginny's cheeks causing Molly to laugh and grin at her daughter. To save her further embarrassment, Molly decided to change the subject. "You're father and brothers have already left for the day."

Smiling at her mum in thanks for a change of topic, Ginny made herself a bowl of cereal and a glass of pumpkin juice before taking a seat at the long wooden table in the center of the room.

"Ron too?"

"Yes, Lee has a bit of the wizarding flu so Ron went with the twins this morning to help around the store."

Ginny nodded as she continued to eat.

"I need to go to Headquarters today, will you be alright? You could come with me if you'd like."

"No thanks mum. I've still got some homework to finish, I'll be fine." She used a bored tone as she spoke, but inside she was beaming at finally having an opportunity to sneak out and pickup a gift she had seen in Hogsmeade during one of her visits while she was at school. She hadn't had enough money at the time but thought it would be a perfect gift for Harry on his birthday. Having helped the twins at their shop several times this summer she now had enough money and had just been waiting for a chance to sneak off to buy it.

"Ok dear, I'm only a floo call away if you need me."

Ginny smiled as Molly gave her a hug and kissed the top of her head before stepping in the fireplace to go to Grimmauld Place.

Finishing her breakfast, Ginny ran upstairs to her room to fetch a cloak, her coin purse and slide on a pair of shoes before returning to the kitchen. Reaching in a pot sitting on the hearth, she grabbed a handful of floo powder before stepping into the fireplace.

Throwing the powder at her feet, she felt the familiar sensation of the green flames swirling around her and yelled out, "The Three Broomsticks!"

The dizzying sensation of floo travel wrapped itself around her as she spun her way through the floo network. Pushing down the nausea created by this form of travel, Ginny watched as grate after grate whizzed by until almost a full minute after she entered, she stumbled out of the fireplace at the Three Broomsticks. Not wanting to draw any attention to herself, Ginny immediately headed for the door to the pub brushing the soot from her cloak as she went.

It was a beautiful sunny day as she stepped out of the pub into the fresh country air of Hogsmeade. Still being fairly early there weren't many shoppers about and after a brief pause to look around the quaint little village she began her journey to the far end of the street where the little shop that was her destination was located.

The tinkle of a small bell sounded as she entered the store and began wandering around looking at the eclectic collection of baubles scattered around the stores shelves. It wasn't long before she was joined by an old witch who appeared from a door leading to a room in the back.

"Good morning Miss. Welcome to Hagatha's Wizarding Resale. Is there anything I can help you with today my dear?"

Ginny smiled back at the friendly witch. "Yes actually," she began as she stepped up to a glass case near the cash register. She was dismayed when she looked inside and couldn't find the object she had come to purchase. "I was here a couple months ago and saw a snitch in this case, do you still have it?"

The witch smiled and nodded. "Yes, just a moment."

Leaving Ginny next to the counter, the witch disappeared into the back of the store before returning a minute later carrying a small wooden box. Setting it on the counter in front of Ginny, she lifted the lid to reveal its red silk lining and a small golden ball with the name 'J. Potter' engraved across its surface."

Ginny's face lit up as she looked at the item knowing Harry would love it. "Do you know if this was really James Potters?" she asked.

The woman smiled at the young redhead. "Yes, he traded it for a necklace for another young redheaded witch when he was still in school."

Ginny blushed but continued to smile brightly. "I'll take it." she said pulling out her coin purse.

"Excellent, that will be twenty galleons."

The young red head looked up in shock. "But I don't have that much, it was only twelve the last time I was here."

"I'm sorry dear but after everything that's been happening recently, Potter artifacts have been bringing in much more than they used too."

Ginny looked crushed, she didn't have enough. "Please, I wanted to give this to Harry for his birthday," she begged.

"Harry Potter?"

Ginny nodded enthusiastically.

The witch's face seemed to soften as she thought it over finally coming to a decision. "I suppose I could let it go for twelve, since it is for James son."

An excited squeal escaped Ginny's lips before she could stop it causing the old witch behind the counter to smile and let out a chuckle.

"I'll just wrap it up for you dear."

Ginny counted out twelve Galleons while the witch was gone and after receiving her purchase left the shop in the best mood she had been in for a long time. She knew he would absolutely love the gift. Perhaps it would help him to finally notice her.

She was walking back to the Three Broomsticks to return home when several cracks echoed through the air followed by a series of screams. Ginny spun around just in time to see a group of Death Eaters carelessly throwing curses around at the towns inhabitants before she was hit in the chest with a beam of light and everything went dark.

* * *

Ginny's entire body ached as she woke. Stretching to work out the kinks in her joints she found her hands were bound in shackles. Her eyes snapped open immediately as she remembered seeing the Death Eaters in Hogsmeade and what had happened. 

Sitting up she took in her surroundings. She found herself sitting on the cold stone floor of what looked like a medieval dungeon. Various devices she assumed were for torture were scattered about the room and the only exit appeared to be a solid wood door situated in the middle of the wall opposite her.

Looking at her hands she found her wrists trapped in metal bindings that were connected with a metal rod. She was surprised to see that the bindings were padded, preventing injury to her wrists. The bar connecting the bindings had a loop in the center to which was connected to a rusty old chain. The chain went up and through a metal ring that was attached to the wall high above her head. From there, it crossed the wall through a series of rings before ending up on the other side of the room where it connected to a large roller. Several gears, latches and handles were attached to one end of the roller so the chain could be tightened up.

Tears were flowing down Ginny's face as she took in her situation. She cried even harder when she realized that no one would even know she was missing until supper time.

It wasn't long before she heard the sounds of latches being thrown back on the door and looked up to see the door flung open. Fear filled her entire being and she began to whimper as none other than Voldemort himself stepped through the door.

With a casual wave of his hand the door closed and locked behind him as he strolled across the room.

"Well, well, if it isn't little Ginny Weasley. I've been looking forward to meeting you."

Ginny let out another whimper and scooted as far away from him as she could.

Voldemort let out a cruel laugh as he watched her try to get away from him and with another wave of his hand the machine on the far side of the room sprang into motion tightening up the chain that was connected to Ginny's bindings.

She struggled against the chains that held her, but it was no use. Ever so slowly the chains pulled her across the floor finally forcing her to stand. They continued to tighten until she was standing upright with her hands high above her head, her feet just barely touching the ground.

Ginny's crying increased as Voldemort approached. She turned her head to the side and closed her eyes as she waited for the torture she was no doubt going to receive. A shiver of revulsion flowed through her as she felt a boney pale finger run across her cheek to her chin where he took hold of her and forced her to face him.

"Open your eyes."

The words were said softly but were laced with power and Ginny found herself unable to fight him. Opening her eyes she found the eerie red orbs of the Dark Lord Voldemort staring back at her.

"I have heard of the events of your first year at Hogwarts. I've been looking forward to seeing what happened for myself."

She froze in fear as she realized what was about to happen but was powerless to stop it.

"Legilimens," Voldemort said as he stared into Ginny's eyes.

Pain wracked her small frame as Voldemort tore through her memories with all the gentleness of a raging bull. All her secrets and fears were laid bare before her as she was forced to relive memories she had long since hidden away in the hopes of never having to see them again.

For several minutes that seemed to stretch on forever she relived the Chamber of Secrets. He had poured over her memories taking what he wanted but seemed to take an especially long time looking at her memories of that year, forcing her to relive some of what happened several times.

Finally he let the spell fall and watched as Ginny's head dropped and she began to sob anew.

"Please let me go." she finally managed to whisper through her fear and tears.

Voldemort laughed cruelly, the sound of his evil laughter filling her with dread. "Why would I ever do such a thing?" Reaching forward he once again forced her to look at him. "You are mine Ginny Weasley. And you will remain mine forever."

Ginny shook her head. "No, I won't, I can't, not again, I'll die first."

The Dark Lord just looked back at her with a calculating smile on his face. "Very well, perhaps your life means little to you but what of the lives of your parents, your brothers? Would you doom them to torture and death to deny me what is rightfully mine?"

"I can't, please, I can't," Ginny said in barely a whisper.

Voldemort was not deterred. "As you wish, I happen to know three of your brothers are in Diagon Alley at this very moment. Perhaps I'll stop by to inspect their wares. And maybe after that I'll go see your estranged brother… Percy, I believe his name is?"

Ginny let out several more choked sobs before dropping her gaze from the beast in front of her. "Ok."

"I beg your pardon? What did you say?" Voldemort said with an evil grin.

"I am yours," she said though it practically killed her to do so.

"You will address me as My Lord."

"I am yours, My Lord."

Voldemort cackled evilly. "I always knew that you were. Your fate was sealed the day Lucius slipped my diary into your cauldron. Oh, he was punished to be sure, I did not take the loss of that artifact lightly, but it does appear to have had its… benefits."

Ginny said nothing, only listening as sorrow filled her heart. The Dark Lord became quiet for a bit before addressing her again.

"Will you take my mark?"

She looked up in shock. It had not occurred to her that he would want to place the Dark Mark upon her skin. But as her eyes met his, she could tell she had no choice.

"Yes… My Lord." she said with a small amount of revulsion in her voice.

Fear flowed through her again as she saw the anger in Voldemort's eyes at her tone. Surprising her yet again he stepped forward and took hold of her firmly, spinning her around so that she faced the wall and slamming her into it.

"You will learn respect," he hissed.

Relishing in the scream she let out, Voldemort tore the back of her robes down the middle and lifted up the base of her t-shirt to reveal the small of her back. Pressing the tip of his wand against her skin just above her waist he asked her again.

"Will you take my mark?"

"Yes, My Lord," she replied evenly, knowing not to test him further.

"Mors Mordre!" the Dark Lord yelled.

Ginny screamed in agony as the mark was burned into her lower back. Waves of pain assaulted her body and the smell of burnt flesh permeated the air as the dark magic worked its way into her, forever marking her as Voldemort's property. Her throat was raw from screaming and she was on the brink of passing out when the pain suddenly stopped.

With another wave of his wand, the shackles binding Ginny's hands released her and she fell to the floor.

"Kneel before your new master."

Ginny continued to sob as she did as she was instructed.

"Now kiss the hems of my robe to show me the respect I deserve."

Once again she did as she was told, giving as little thought to what was happening to her as possible.

Voldemort laughed again, the sound sending waves of disgust down her spine. Reaching within his robes, he withdrew a vial of potion which he handed to his newest servant.

"Drink this, it will heal your wounds and remove your pain."

Taking the potion, Ginny swallowed it quickly and was surprised when the pain disappeared as she had been told it would. She flinched when Voldemort pointed his wand at her but relaxed as she realized he was only repairing her robes and using a cleaning charm on her.

"I have erased the memory of your capture and imprisonment from all of the Death Eaters who knew about you. Only you and I will know of your new found loyalties. Should anyone become aware that you carry the mark, your family will pay the ultimate price."

Ginny nodded as she wiped the tears from her face.

"For now, I will return you to your family. Should I summon you, you will feel it in my mark and see where I wish you to go in your mind. You are to respond as quickly as it is possible to do so without risking your identity as a Death Eater. Do not fear, I will not summon you often. When you return to school I will communicate to you through owl post. I am sure you are familiar with my writing and will open my letters in private."

"One day you will take your place at my side as part of my inner circle, but until that time your existence within my ranks will remain a carefully guarded secret."

Ginny nodded again in understanding and her breath hitched when Voldemort handed her a small golden ball and her wand.

"I have turned your prize into a portkey. Tap it with your wand and it will take you home."

Raising her wand, Ginny tapped the snitch. As she felt the hook behind her naval she just had time to hear his parting words.

"Remember Ginny Weasley, you are mine."

* * *

Ginny reappeared next to the tree line surrounding the paddock where she flew and played Quidditch with her brothers not far from the Burrow. Still in a daze, she made her way across their land and into the structure that was her home. Entering the house, she went straight upstairs to her room where she closed her door, fell onto her bed and finally let the tears that had been threatening since she returned home fall. 

She prayed and wished with all her might that it had only been a horrible nightmare but the dull ache from her new tattoo let her know in no uncertain terms that it had really happened. Eventually her tears passed though she continued to lie on her bed trying to figure out what to do. Unfortunately, nothing came to mind, there was nothing left for her do but continue on to keep her family safe.

Spotting the snitch she picked it up and read the writing etched on its surface. 'J. Potter'. A new tear made its way down her cheek at the thought she no longer had any chance what so ever to be with Harry in the way she had always dreamed of. 'The hero of the light doesn't fall in love with a filthy Death Eater,' she thought.

With thoughts of Harry's reaction to her taking the Dark Mark reeking havoc inside her mind, Ginny began crying anew.

* * *

Molly Weasley had just finished preparing a rather large amount of food for what ever Order members would be stopping by Grimmauld Place for dinner. After wishing the present members well, she left the kitchen and made her way to the study to use the fireplace to floo home. 

Stepping out of the floo into the kitchen at the Burrow she was surprised to find her oldest son Bill sitting at the table grinning widely at her.

"Mum," he greeted warmly getting up from the table to give Molly a hug and kiss on her cheek.

"Oh Bill! I'm so happy you're here!" Molly replied feeling truly blessed to have her oldest son back home even if it was only for dinner. She knew her children would all grow up one day but that didn't mean she had to like it.

"Sit, sit," she said. "I was just going to start dinner. You're staying I hope?"

Bill couldn't help but smile back at her excitement. "Actually I was hoping I could move back home for a little while."

Molly was practically bouncing with joy at Bill's question. "Yes! Of course you can! Oh, my baby boy has returned home!" She was so happy she couldn't help but run over and give Bill another hug and kiss.

"Your father is going to be so thrilled!" she continued. "And your brothers, my, my, perhaps you could help keep the twins in line, they always listened to you, you know. And Ginny! Oh she'll be so excited! Where is Ginny?" she finally asked looking around.

"I only arrived a few minutes before you did, I didn't even know she was here," Bill replied.

"Well I'm going to start dinner." Molly said wiping a tear of happiness out of her eyes. "Why don't you run along and find Ginny, she'll be so happy to see you! Oh, happy days, happy days!"

Bill shook his head and grinned widely at his mother's behavior as he left the kitchen in search of his sister.

"Ginny." he called out as he knocked on the door to her room.

A minute later the door opened to reveal a slightly disheveled Ginny that had obviously been crying. "Bill?"

"Hey Sprout, you ok?" he asked in concern using his private nickname for her.

"Bill!" she repeated realizing her favorite brother was really there. Jumping forward she hugged him tightly, burying her head in his chest.

"Hey kiddo, hey, it's ok. Everything's going to be ok. I'm here," he said as she began sobbing against him.

He held her tightly rubbing her back lightly as she cried her tears, letting the days events wash over her again. Eventually she began to calm down and Bill steered her into her room closing the door behind them. Taking a seat on the bed, he pulled her down onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her.

"What's wrong Sprout?" he asked softly.

His only response was a shake of her head.

"Come on sweetheart. We've never kept secrets from each other before," he said pulling her tightly against him.

Ginny felt horrible about not being able to tell him what was wrong, but she had to protect him. She loved him far too much to risk anything happening to him or the rest of her family. It was hard for her to think straight with everything that had happened and she said the first thing that came to mind.

"It's Harry."

Being a member of the Order, Bill had heard about everything that had happened with Harry Potter, but listening to the pain in her voice and seeing look on her face, he knew she wasn't telling the truth. However, she was so upset he thought it best to not push the matter, at least for now.

"You're worried about him?"

Ginny looked down, unable to meet his eyes, and nodded into his chest.

"Don't worry about Harry, he'll be fine. Everything will work out, I promise." he whispered as he continued to rub her back to comfort her.

"I know, I just worry about him," she whispered feeling like she was going to be sick from not telling him the truth. She suspected he knew she was lying but was letting it go for her.

The pair sat quietly for a long while before Ginny finally sat up wiping her tears away with the sleeve of the t-shirt she wore. "I'm glad you're here."

Bill gave her a warm smile. "Me too. I took some time off and am coming home for awhile."

"Really!" Ginny said looking up at her brother with hope in her eyes.

Bill nodded, his grin firmly in place. "Yup, at least for the rest of the summer."

Ginny let out a little squeal and gave her brother another hug that would make her mum proud. It was the first happiness she had felt since she had been taken earlier that day and the wonderful news helped warmed her heart up a little bit.

"Come on Sprout, mums making dinner." Bill said getting up from his seat on the bed and extending his hand for her to take.

"I'm not really hungry," Ginny said as she returned to wiping her eyes.

"You sure?" he asked softly.

Ginny nodded. "Yeah, I don't really feel like seeing anyone right now."

Bill nodded in understanding. "Alright then, I'll make your excuses and tell them to leave you alone."

"Thanks Bill," Ginny said giving him a small smile of gratitude.

"No problem." Bill started to leave the room but stopped as he was walking through the door. "You know I love you and would do anything for you, right?"

Ginny nodded at her brother. "I know. I love you too."

"You know where my room is if you need anything or just want to talk, ok?"

Ginny nodded again. "Thanks Bill. I'm really glad you're home."

Bill gave her another large smile before leaving the room. After closing the door behind him, Bill stared at the doorknob for a long while trying to figure out what could possibly be bothering her that much. He remembered the events of her first year at Hogwarts and the nightmares she had suffered through for the longest time but even those hadn't made her this upset. Hoping she would come to him soon, he finally turned away from her room and headed down stairs to make her excuses.

* * *

Ginny lay back down on her bed and lost herself in her thoughts as her brother left. With his departure the brief respite from the emotional rollercoaster she had been on passed. The fear for her family and pain of the day's events returned and once again she felt tears leaking from her eyes. 

While her family was downstairs enjoying a large dinner with Bill, she continued to try to figure out what to do. Her mind wandered in every direction, dreaming up idea after idea but they all seemed to end the same way, with the death of her family. After hours of working on a problem she couldn't seem to solve, she decided to get ready for bed.

Getting up from where she had laid down hours earlier, she crossed the room to her dresser passing her cluttered desk on the way. As she passed she noticed some parchment, quills and the snitch lying in the middle of the mess. Like someone had switched on a light she knew what she was going to do. Forgetting all about going to bed, Ginny sat down to write a letter.

* * *

Bill was sitting at the desk in his room looking over some Egyptian scrolls when he heard a soft knock on his door. Hoping it was his sister coming to talk to him about what was going on he jumped up from his seat and quickly crossed the room. 

"Hey Sprout," he said with a smile as he opened the door to find Ginny looking around nervously.

"Can I come in?" she asked tentatively.

"Of course," Bill replied stepping aside.

Ginny stepped forward nervously and took a seat on the bed while Bill was closing the door. A moment later he joined her noticing as he sat down that she was holding a sealed envelope and playing with it nervously.

"Do you want to tell me what's really going on?" Bill asked after a few quiet moments.

Ginny couldn't help but smile slightly. She knew he hadn't bought her 'Harry' excuse.

"Would you really do anything to help me?" she finally asked softly.

Bill nodded as he listened to the pain in her voice and saw the look of fear, worry and hope on her face. He knew there was nothing she could ask that he wouldn't do for her.

Taking a deep breath she continued to look her brother in the eye. "Would you obliviate me?"

His eyes opened wide and his jaw dropped at her request. Never in a million years would he have guessed she would ask that of him. "What? You're joking."

Ginny's eyes began to water as her fear, sorrow and desperation began to take hold again. "Please Bill, please." she pleaded. "I need you to remove all my memories from after we talked earlier. Make me think I went to sleep after you left. Then I need you to send this letter to Harry for me. Please…" she continued to beg.

Bill swallowed heavily as he listened to her pleas. He couldn't imagine what would drive her to these extremes and wished she would let him help her with her problem. "Ginny, please tell me what's…" He was cut off before he could go any further.

"I can't. Please don't make me, please. Please help me," she begged as she began sobbing.

Bill's heart was breaking and he knew he couldn't refuse her and finally nodded. "Ok. I'll do it."

Ginny threw herself at her brother wrapping him in a tight hug at his agreement and cried into his chest again. Bill felt horrible for her and did his best to console her as he held her close. After a long while they finally separated and Ginny handed him a sealed envelope with 'Harry Potter' written on the front.

Accepting the letter, Bill stood from where he was sitting and crossed the room placing the envelope on his desk. Returning to where Ginny was sitting, Bill drew his wand.

"You're sure about this?" he asked softly.

Ginny nodded.

Leaning forward, Bill placed a tender kiss on her forehead before stepping back and raising his wand. "Obliviate!"

As he lowered his wand and took in the glazed look in his baby sister's eyes, a single tear made its way down his cheek.

"After we talked earlier you laid down on your bed and went to sleep."

Ginny seemed to accept what she was told and lay down on Bill's bed where she was sitting. She rolled over onto her stomach clutching his pillow tightly and closed her eyes.

Raising his wand a second time, he cast a mild sleeping charm on her and watched as she drifted off to sleep. Putting away his wand he sat on the bed next to her and began slowly rubbing her back.

"Oh Sprout," he said sadly to her sleeping form.

Memories of days past surfaced as he watched her sleep. They had always been especially close from the first time they had met after she had been born to right now as he gently rubbed her back to comfort her but also to comfort himself as well.

He thought about the way he had stopped her crying when she was a baby and no one else had been able to sooth her. He thought about sneaking a three year old Ginny out to the orchard to take her flying on his broom and catching hell for it later from their mum. He remembered protecting her from her other brothers most especially the twins and teaching her the bat bogey hex she had become famous for.

As the memories continued to swirl within his mind, Bill couldn't help but notice the letter lying on his desk. A letter addressed to Harry Potter. He knew of her feelings for the young man, she had talked to him about it many times. He smiled at the thought that she trusted him enough to share that bit of herself with him when she wouldn't dare tell anyone else.

He wanted desperately to read the letter in hopes of finding out what was going on so that he could help her but he couldn't quite get himself to do so. It felt a little too much like he would be breaking her trust in him.

Returning his attention to his sister, Bill continued to rub her back in soothing circles as he watched her sleep. His rubbing pushed around the fabric of her shirt and after a few minutes he noticed an odd black mark at the base of her back where her shirt had been pulled up slightly revealing a small amount of skin.

Checking to make sure she was still asleep, Bill pulled her shirt up a few inches to further reveal whatever was on her back. Still not able to tell what it was, he drew his wand and cast another slightly stronger sleeping spell on her before grabbing hold of the waist band on her jeans and folding it over to reveal the mark in its entirety.

"Oh my god! Ginny, no!" he said softly in shock at the sight of the Dark Mark that marred the skin of her lower back. For several minutes he sat in a stupor unable to even begin thinking about what he was seeing. Eventually his brain started functioning again and he began looking frantically around the room as if there were eyes watching his every movement.

Careful not to wake her, Bill quickly pulled her jeans back up and straightened her shirt to hide the mark. He then once again drew his wand as he ran to his door. Carefully opening it, he searched the hallway for any eavesdroppers and cast a couple spells to identify anyone he might not be able to see. Finding nothing, he quietly closed his door and sealed it magically. He then cast a complex series of privacy charms on the entire room before stepping up to his desk.

Laying his wand on its surface, he picked up the letter Ginny had written pausing only briefly before he tore open the envelope and began to read.

Tears filled his eyes as he read the letter and understanding flooded through him. Finishing with the note, he set it on his desk and leaned over sitting with his face in his hands for a long while as he mourned what she had gone through, what she was still going through.

Wiping his eyes, Bill stood and made his way over to the bed where Ginny was still sleeping peacefully and kneeled next to her. Leaning over, he brushed some stray hair away from her face before placing a soft kiss on her temple.

"I love you Sprout and I'm here for you. I'm not going anywhere. I'll fix this if I have to kill that bastard myself."

Bill watched her sleep for while longer before canceling the locking spells on the door to his room and taking Ginny into his arms. He carried her down the hall to her room pushing the door open with his foot and gently laid her on her bed covering her with a nearby blanket. She let out a soft mumble causing him to smile slightly as she snuggled down into the bedding. When she stopped moving and he was sure she had returned to sleep, he gave her another kiss on the forehead and left her room, silently closing the door behind him.

Looking at his watch as he returned to his room he noticed it was almost midnight. Not really caring about anything but his sister's well being, he grabbed his cloak and the letter and apparated away from the Burrow.

* * *

Bill appeared on one end of a deserted street and quickly made his way up the lane before he was stopped by an invisible barrier. 

"Ouch." he said as he rubbed his head where he had impacted the invisible wall of magic.

Knowing he had come as close to his destination as he would be able to without the assistance of the persons occupying the wards, Bill drew his wand and cast a simple identification spell on the wards.

The results were exactly as he knew they would be, but he wasn't really interested in what the spell showed him. As the result faded, he cast the spell again at the exact same spot on the barrier.

* * *

Harry woke from a sound sleep with an odd feeling encroaching on his semi-conscious state. As he looked around the room he felt it again and furrowed his eyebrows as he tried to wake up and figure out what was bothering him. There it was again. Sitting up on his bed he rubbed his eyes before taking another look around to find Tonks sitting up on her bed as well with the same confused look on her face. 

As he felt the intrusion again it clicked with him what it was. "The wards!" he said to Tonks who immediately realized what they were feeling.

Jumping up from their beds, Harry and Tonks quickly threw on their shoes and robes before running out of the room with wands in hand. Harry quickly made his way to Jake's room to wake him up while Tonks went down stairs to have a look around.

"Jake! Jake get up!" Harry said.

Jake was up in a second and seemed wide awake and alert as he threw on some pants and his boots. "What is it? I didn't hear an alarm."

"Someone's messing with the wards." Harry said quickly before heading downstairs with Jake hot on his heals.

"Anything?" Harry asked Tonks as he approached the front door where she was looking through a small window in its center.

"Yeah, looks like its only one person at the end of the street. It's kind of weird though, he's been casting the same spell over and over, not really trying to do anything. It's more like he's knocking," she said.

Harry thought about it and realized she was right. "Well, we should be safe as long as we don't cross, let's answer the door."

Receiving nods of agreement from Tonks and Jake, Harry opened the door and walked out into the night. Heading up the street, they saw a lone figure standing on the sidewalk at the edge of the wards with his wand out and separated so they wouldn't present a single target if this was some sort of trap. As they drew closer to the figure they realized he had seen them and put his wand away.

"Harry!" the figure called out as he came closer.

"Bill?" Tonks said from one side.

"Yeah, I need to talk to you guys. It's important."

Realizing this wasn't some sort of Death Eater trap, Harry, Tonks and Jake stepped forward standing just across the ward from Bill. They were still a little wary that this might be something of the Headmaster's doing.

"What do you want Bill?" Harry asked tiredly.

"Can I come in and talk to you all? I can't really talk out here." he said looking around nervously.

"I don't know. I mean how do I know you weren't sent here by Dumbledore?"

"Please Harry I'm not, I swear," he said. His own words made him realize how he could prove himself quickly. "I Bill Weasley swear on my magic I am here of my own volition and intend no harm or deception of any kind against anyone within these wards."

Harry felt the magic bind him to his oath and quickly reached through the wards and grabbed his wrist to pull him through.

"What the hell's going on Bill." Harry asked now fully awake. Swearing a magical oath was a serious business and Harry knew this had to be important if Bill was willing to go to those lengths merely to speak with him.

"Not here," Bill said shaking his head as he continued to look around, "inside."

Harry nodded and after a quick look to Tonks and Jake led the way back to Number Four.

It didn't take them long to get to Harry's room and close the door where they were surprised as they watched Bill cast a long series of charms designed to secure the room from eavesdropping.

"It's ok Bill, the wards take care of everything. Even Moody can't spy on us here." Tonks said.

As they watched Bill take a seat they noticed he was upset and agitated, but more than that he seemed angry.

"I took some time off and came home today to spend some time with my family." he began. "After talking to mum, I went upstairs and found Ginny. She was more upset than I've ever seen her but wouldn't tell me what was going on."

Harry, Tonks and Jake listened to his every word carefully very concerned about what was wrong with Ginny.

"Anyway, I was in my room a little bit ago doing some work when Ginny came in to talk to me. She still wouldn't tell me what was going on but she asked me to give you a letter and obliviate the memory of it from her mind."

Tonks gasped and Harry looked at the letter Bill had removed from his pocket but hadn't given to him yet. It had obviously been opened.

Bill looked at the letter a minute feeling a hitch in his throat as he thought about its contents. "I'm sorry I opened you mail Harry, but after I obliviated her I put her to sleep like she asked me too. I watched her for awhile and noticed an odd mark on her lower back and pulled up her shirt to take a good look."

Bill's hands were shaking and he looked like he was about to cry. "It was the Dark Mark Harry." Bill said softly as he handed the letter to a gob smacked Harry.

Tonks looked stunned and Jake had a look on his face like he was trying to work out a particularly difficult puzzle.

After looking at Bill for another long minute, Harry turned his eyes to the letter he now held.

_Dear Harry,_

_I'm so sorry Harry but I don't know what to do, who to turn too. What I'm about to tell you I haven't told anyone else and after I write this I'm going to beg Bill to erase my memory of it._

_I snuck into Hogsmeade earlier today while no one was home and got caught up in a Death Eater attack. They stunned me and I woke in a dungeon with my wrists bound. Not long after I woke up, Tom came in. I was so scared. I didn't know what to do. He wanted me to take the Dark Mark and become a Death Eater. I swear I didn't want to but he said he'd kill my brothers, my family, he knew where they all were. He said he was the only one who knew about me. I'm sorry. I didn't know what else to do._

_I'm so sorry Harry, I know I'm weak and I've disappointed you. I know I've no right to ask after all you've done for me, but please forgive me. Please find a way to save my family. I'll do anything. Please._

_Ginny_

Harry felt his heart breaking as he read the letter. After finishing he passed it to Tonks and Jake who immediately consumed its contents. Anger at Voldemort flared in his eyes as he looked at Bill.

"I saved her once. I won't let that son of a bitch have her," Harry growled angrily.

"Look," Jake said jumping into the conversation as he felt Harry and Bill's tempers over what Voldemort had done grow, "getting angry isn't going to help us, we need to figure out what to do about this."

Both the boys took a deep breath and did their best to push the anger away.

"Better," Jake said. "Bill, what are your plans for the summer and after?"

"I took the summer off to spend with the family and after that I'm supposed to go back to Egypt, but I don't really care about that now, I'm not leaving until she's ok."

Jake nodded. "Can you get a job at Hogwarts?"

"I don't know. Maybe." he said curiously.

"What are you thinking Jake?" Tonks asked.

"I'm not exactly sure just yet, but I'm thinking Bill should keep close to her. If Voldemort sees her as a Death Eater now, he'll be in contact with her. Having just happened to catch her during a raid in Hogsmeade, he probably doesn't have any plans for her yet. The most likely place to use her will be in Hogwarts."

Everyone nodded at Jake's reasoning as they thought about what he had said.

"He'll be contacting her then," Bill said thoughtfully. "He can summon his servants through the mark but not relay information through it so he has to use another method. I'd say she'd get her orders from someone else but supposedly he's the only one who knows about her. He'll probably use owl post but I'll check her room for a two way mirror."

"Is there a way we could get a copy of any owl post she receives?" Harry asked.

"I don't know." Bill began. "I could set a ward to have any mail destined for her come to me instead but surely he'll have warded any letter he sends in some way."

Harry nodded. "Think about it. It would help if we knew what he was having her do."

"I think we should add Bill to the wards Harry," Jake said.

"I agree," Harry said reaching for Bill's hand. A moment later he had been added to the wards so that he could come and go on his own as needed.

"Thanks Harry, for everything. I promise I'll keep your secrets and help you any way I can." he said honestly.

"I know you will." Harry said with a smile. "And I meant what I said, I won't let him have her. We will fix this and he will pay."

"Well," Bill said as he got up to leave, "I'll see what I can work out and let you know."

"Hey," Tonks said stopping him before he got to far, "maybe you could help us with our alarms."

"Good idea." Jake added from one side.

Bill followed Tonks over to one wall which had a myriad of small mirrors arranged along its length along with a series of necklaces where she began to explain. "These miniature foe glasses are tied to specific locations, like this one," she said indicating a specific mirror, "is setup for the Burrow."

Bill looked at their configuration of mirrors, specialized portkeys and alarms with great interest as Tonks explained the particulars of what they had set up. A minute later Harry joined them handing Bill a large stack of parchment detailing the spells they had used.

"I'll see if I can figure out a way to improve this, maybe we can connect multiple locations to one mirror and portkey or something like that."

"Thanks Bill."

"No problem Harry, anything you need. And thank you." he said with a smile.


	9. Tragedy Strikes

**Chapter 9 – Tragedy Strikes**

_Daily Prophet  
__Hogsmeade Attack Repelled by Potter and Friends  
__by Margie Thayer_

_Once again the hero of the wizarding world Harry Potter and his friends arrive to save the day. It was a lovely day in Hogsmeade with the many shoppers going happily about their business when the small town was suddenly attacked by a group of fifteen cowards in black robes and white masks also known as Death Eaters._

_Panic immediately ensued during which the Death Eaters took full advantage of the chaos their arrival caused to further their campaign of fear and terror. Unfortunately, for the Death Eaters, their attack on the peaceful village of Hogsmeade did not go unchallenged. Once again Harry Potter and his friends arrived to save the day._

_This reporter had a chance to speak with Mrs. Euctice Crompton who was in Hogsmeade when the attack occurred. 'It was horrible. They were everywhere. Everyone was screaming and running around. I didn't know what to do. My best friend who I was shopping with that day was hit with a curse by one of them and fell to the ground. She was bleeding all over and I looked up to see the Death Eater's wand pointed at me but then he was suddenly thrown against a wall and I looked over to see Harry Potter standing there.'_

_Mrs. Crompton's story is a common one amongst the people who were shopping in Hogsmeade during the attack. Death Eaters preying on the helpless, Potter and his compatriots risking their own lives to do what's right._

_The attack on Hogsmeade resulted in four innocent deaths, twenty two injuries and a large amount of property damage. Out of the approximately fifteen Death Eaters that participated in the raid, nine were killed, one was unconscious and captured when Ministry Aurors finally arrived on the scene with a further five managing to escape._

_The Ministry of Magic in all it's wisdom has issued an order to the Aurors demanding the capture of Harry Potter and his associates whom they have now identified as former Auror and Metamorphmagus Nymphadora Tonks and a muggle named Jake Trapp. That is correct readers, a muggle. The magical world is on the brink of war and it is a muggle, a being often looked down upon and scorned by the people of our society who is coming to our rescue._

_Once again Ministry Officials refused to comment except to say the three are to be detained for questioning concerning the deaths of several possible Death Eaters. They have also stated that no charges have been filed in the cases with the exception of multiple counts of the illegal use of underage magic by Harry Potter._

_This reporter continues to thank Potter, Tonks and Trapp for their selfless defense of the Wizarding World. An informal pole taken by the staff of the Daily Prophet has shown that readers overwhelmingly approve of the actions Potter and his friends are taking._

"Well, that's it then. We're outlaws now," Harry said as he finished reading the article.

"Don't worry about it Harry, we knew it was going to happen," Jake said.

"At least we're getting some good press," Tonks added hoping to cheer up the mood a bit.

Harry smiled warmly at her. She always seemed to know what he needed to hear. "Yeah, kind of a nice change. I wonder who she is. She said she knew my mum."

"What if we brought her here, told her our story. Think she'd print it?" Jake asked.

"I think she would, I mean she did call the Death Eaters cowards," Tonks said grinning. "Plus you could ask her about your mum Harry."

Tonks violet eyes were met with Harry's emotion filled green ones as he sent her a smile that made her insides do flip flops. "I think I'd like that."

Harry sat struggling over what to put in the letter for a long while. Unable to come up with anything good, he eventually gave up and crumpling up his latest attempt went to work on his magic with Tonks. The afternoon passed quickly as they practiced and it was a little while after dinner that Harry once again found himself sitting in front of his desk trying to figure out how to ask the reporter about his parents.

"Come on Harry, it can't be that difficult. Just ask her." Tonks said as she looked over his shoulder to the piece of parchment sitting in front of him. So far he had managed to write 'Dear Ms. Thayer,' on the letter.

"I know," Harry replied. "I just can't seem to find the words."

An alarm sounded causing Tonks to jog across the room to their monitors with Harry close behind. Jake was entering the room as Tonks pulled the portkey from the wall.

"Looks like ten plus at the reporter's house," she said. Looking to Harry she continued. "I guess you don't have to write her that letter now, you can just ask her."

Harry nodded and took hold of the portkey with his wand drawn. A moment later he felt a tug behind his naval as they all disappeared from Privet Drive.

* * *

"Duck!" Jake yelled as the three appeared. 

Hitting the ground, they barely managed to avoid the many curses that flew towards them.

Conjuring strong shields, Harry and Tonks looked out across the backyard of the house to find a large group of Death Eaters throwing curses at them. Acting quickly, they rolled out of the way, each taking cover behind a large tree while Jake disappeared around the side of the house. They threw a few curses at the group of Death Eaters before Tonks came up with an idea.

"Harry!"

Ducking behind his tree, Harry looked to his companion.

"On three, summon the car."

Glancing out from behind his cover, Harry looked for the car she was talking about to find it parked on the other side of the Death Eaters. "You're kidding, right?" he asked after returning to his cover.

"No, just brace yourself behind the tree and put everything you have into it. Ready?"

Harry braced himself and nodded at Tonks.

"Three!" she yelled without preamble.

As one, Harry and Tonks summoned the auto putting as much power into their spells as they possibly could. At first nothing seemed to happen though they both felt a large amount of pressure as if they were being pulled forward from their positions but a moment later the car started moving towards them. It was slow at first and Harry didn't think it was going to do any good, but a second later he felt the pressure pulling him forward disappear and the large car shot across the backyard towards his position.

The Death Eaters were taken completely by surprise, most of their number being crushed under the cars weight as it slid across the yard though a couple of them managed to jump out of the way at the last second.

"Duck!" Tonks yelled as she ended her spell and jumped back behind her tree.

Harry dropped his spell and disappeared behind his own just in time as the car impacted the large oak he was hiding behind. Not wasting any time, Harry cast a blasting hex at a lone Death Eater he could see from his cover. He noticed Tonks firing spells at a different angle and figured there were more he couldn't see.

Returning his attention to the fight at hand, he ducked to avoid a curse before returning fire again. This time the Death Eaters shield did not hold and he was thrown back against the home with a sickening crunch. Harry watched the man for any signs of life for a few moments and finding none, started looking for Tonks targets.

"Hold Harry!" he heard Tonks yell.

"What?" he said looking to Tonks.

"It's Jake," she said followed by "Clear!"

Harry followed suit and a moment later they heard Jake call out the same. Moving from his position, Harry helped make a sweep of the yard to check for any surviving Death Eaters. Finishing his sweep, Harry looked to Jake.

"Oh crap. You ok?" he said stepping forward quickly. "Tonks!"

Jake was covered in blood, how much was his and how much was the enemies Harry couldn't tell. His shirt was torn up and numerous gashes were bleeding on his arms and torso. His left arm appeared to have taken the worst of whatever spell he had been hit with and hung limply at his side.

"Yeah… I'm good…" Jake said in a daze before he fell over.

"Shit!" Harry exclaimed as he rushed forward.

Tonks appeared at his side a moment later. "Damnit." she muttered removing a small wooden box from within her robes. "Blood Restorative." she said as she rapped on its side.

Grabbing the test tube that appeared from the end of the box, Tonks poured its contents down Jakes throat. "Harry, get me another."

Harry nodded and picked up the box. "Blood Restorative." Handing the tube to Tonks, he watched as she poured its contents down Jakes throat as well. They repeated the procedure another time before Jakes gag reflex kept him from swallowing any more.

"Tremorius Curse." Tonks said as she continued to examine him.

"What's that?" Harry asked.

"It's a cutting curse but it vibrates and moves in an unpredictable way which is why he's all cut up. He's lucky he didn't get hit anywhere important and all his parts are still attached."

"Harry?" a female voice spoke from near the house.

Harry and Tonks had their wands pointed at her in an instant but lowered them as they found Margie Thayer approaching.

"Hey, thanks for the good press."

"No problem. Is there anything I can do to help?" she said looking down at Jake.

"No, but we need to get him out of here before the Aurors show up," Harry said.

Not having any time to waste, Tonks decided to get straight to the point. "We'd like to talk to you about Voldemort and some other things, will you come? Alone?"

Margie smiled and nodded. "Absolutely."

"Here," Tonks continued handing her a necklace. "It's a portkey that will bring you to us. Just tap it with your wand later after the Aurors leave and don't tell anyone about it."

Accepting the necklace Margie nodded and stepped back. A moment later the three were gone. As she began surveying the damage to her yard, she couldn't help but let out a low whistle. "You guys don't do anything by halves do you?" she said to no one as she looked around.

A minute later the pops of apparition could be heard echoing around the home and Margie quickly stuffed the portkey in her pocket before greeting the Aurors.

* * *

Harry and Tonks appeared in their room with Jake lying limply between them. Wasting no time, Tonks enlisted Harry's help removing Jake's clothing until he was only in his boxer shorts. Harry was about to cast a cleaning spell on him when Tonks placed a hand on his wand stopping him. 

"No, we'll have to do it the hard way. Any magic cast on him will aggravate the curse."

"What? What do you mean?" Harry asked in confusion as Tonks conjured a couple of rags and buckets of water to clean Jake off with.

"The Dark Magic is still active in the wounds. If you were to try and heal one, the magic you used would probably open a half dozen more around the area. We have to use passive magic to heal him."

"Passive? You mean like potions?"

"Exactly."

Harry continued to clean Jake up while Tonks began pouring an odd mixture of potions most of which Harry had never heard of before down Jake's throat. Eventually they finished their job having carefully bandaged all of Jakes wounds and gently rolled him onto a conjured stretcher so they could move him into his bedroom to make him more comfortable.

With Jake taken care of they both took turns in the shower. Finishing dressing, Harry returned to his room to find Tonks sitting on the couch looking very tired. Collapsing next to her, Harry let out a long groan before sharing a chuckle and a smile.

"I'm beat," Harry said through his grin. His head was resting on the back of the couch but was turned so that he was facing Tonks. Her position mirrored his as she looked back wearing a soft smile of her own.

"Yeah, me too," she said after a minute. "Well, Jake's gonna be out cold for about five days until he's healed so it's just you and me for awhile."

Tonks heart began beating in her chest as he continued to smile and stare back at her. As the silence stretched out between them, Tonks toyed with the idea of letting him know how she felt. She wanted badly to tell him but was still worried about ruining their friendship. She hadn't forgotten how awkward things had been for a few days after the kiss they had shared and was worried about the revelation blowing up in her face. But that kiss! The mere thought of the amazing kiss she had shared with him caused her stomach to flutter and her heart to beat faster still.

Finally after a long agonizing internal debate with herself, Tonks decided to ease into the conversation and see where it led.

"Harry?"

"Mmmm?" Harry replied lazily from his Tonks watching induced tranquility. She was in her normal form and he loved the way her hair was framing her face. He desperately wanted to reach out and tuck a stray lock of her hair that had wandered out from behind her ear back where it belonged but didn't want to be too forward. He'd dream about doing it later while he slept.

"I was wondering, I mean have you ever thought about…" Tonks wasn't even sure what she was going to ask, but her question trailed off as Margie Thayer appeared on the other side of the coffee table from the pair. With an internal groan about the injustice that was her love life and an un-vocalized curse about reporters in general, Tonks took a deep breath and greeted the woman. "Wotcher Margie."

"Hello Ms. Thayer," Harry said as he and Tonks started to get up.

"No, no, don't get up, you both look exhausted." Margie said as she held up her hands to stop them from standing.

Harry and Tonks smiled gratefully as they resettled themselves back down on the couch. Taking advantage of the brief lull in the conversation, Margie conjured some drinks and snacks for everyone before taking the seat across the table from the couch where Jake normally sat.

"Please call me Margie by the way, is it ok if I call you Harry?"

"Please," was Harry's simple reply not quite knowing what to say to her.

"What happened with the Aurors after we left?" Tonks asked sensing Harry's uncertainty about what to say.

"Oh they did their usual bang up job of investigating and cleaning up the scene. To be honest, they seemed more interested in asking questions about you three than about what happened. How is Mr. Trapp doing by the way?" she asked looking around the room for him.

"He'll be fine in a few days. Did you tell the Aurors he was injured?"

"No, funny thing, it just didn't seem to come up," Margie answered with a sly smile.

"Thanks, we don't need the Death Eaters knowing we're down by one at the moment."

"I figured," she replied before turning to Harry. "You've grown a bit since I saw you last."

Harry couldn't help but smile. "So you knew my mum?" he asked.

Margie nodded. "I was an exchange student. I studied at Hogwarts for my last two years. You're mum was so nice and helped me a lot. We became the best of friends and I was even a bride's maid at your parents wedding."

Harry continued to listen with rapt attention to Margie tell stories about his parents and the other Marauders for a long time. Between the letters he now had from his parents and the stories he was being told, Harry felt closer to his mum and dad than he ever had before. He realized he should have had a conversation like this one a long time ago with Remus. Resolving to do just that, he continued to listen until the conversation finally worked its way back to the current struggle against Voldemort and his forces.

"So, I'm guessing you're asking me here was about more than just reminiscing over my school days. Would you like to do an interview for the Prophet?"

"Yes, we would. Could you actually get it printed?"

Margie smiled in an almost evil way. "No problem there. I've got the Editor eating out of my hands. I've also been sending my stories over the IWP."

Harry looked confused though Tonks seemed excited.

"That's the International Wizarding Press Harry," Margie explained. "The story of what's actually happening here is quickly becoming the most followed story in the world. From what my contacts tell me, support for what you guys are doing is going through the roof. I suspect many of the other wizarding governments around the world are going to start pressuring Fudge to take action."

"I'm sure he'll appreciate that," Harry said causing Tonks to let out a snicker.

"I don't doubt that at all Harry," Margie replied in amusement. Pausing for a moment, Margie removed her pen and a yellow pad of paper from her bag and placed it on the coffee table in front of her. "So, why are you doing this?" she asked.

Harry smiled as he noticed the pen was writing exactly what was said and no more, quite unlike Rita Skeeter's Quick Quotes Quill. "Because it needs to be done and no one else will."

The interview went on for about a half hour with Harry and Tonks explaining much of what they were doing though they were careful to leave out the how's so as not to lose what advantages they had. Eventually Margie had everything she needed and carefully tucked away the manuscript of the interview.

"Thanks so much for your time. I'm sure the story will help bolster even more support for what you're doing," Margie said as she rose to leave.

"Thank you for actually reporting what's happening fairly," Harry replied as he shook her hand.

"It's the least I could do Harry."

Tonks took a quick look at the foe glass wall and after making sure there was no threat at Margie's house, she handed her a portkey that would take her home. A moment later the reporter disappeared.

"I think that went really well, she seems nice," Tonks said.

"Yeah, it did," Harry said smiling.

* * *

Margie's story appeared in the morning issue of the Daily Prophet the next day and was a huge success, well received by everyone but the Ministry who was being billed as incompetent in their handling of the current situation. Fudge initially tried to pressure the Daily Prophet into suppressing Margie and her stories but quickly realized with her international connections it was no use and backed off. 

The next couple of days passed slowly filled with practice and doing what they could to make sure Jake's injuries were healing properly. The pair was about to get ready for bed when an alarm sounded indicating another attack was taking place at Margie Thayer's home.

Harry noticed a pensive look on Tonks face as she approached him with the portkey. "What is it?"

"I don't know Harry, something doesn't seem right about this attack. There are only three of them."

Harry looked back curiously as he took hold of the portkey necklace she held and they prepared to leave.

"Be careful Harry, keep your guard up."

With a nod of understanding, Harry turned away from Tonks and readied himself for the fight to come. A moment later the pair appeared near Margie Thayer's house. They found the Death Eaters casting the usual wards around the property as they appeared and quickly engaged them. After killing one, the other two disappeared.

"Clear." Harry said as he finished his sweep of the front yard.

"Clear." Tonks repeated finishing with the back.

"I don't see anything strange, must have just been some random Death Eaters trying to win favor or something." Harry said as he continued to scan the area warily.

"Yeah…" Tonks said softly looking around. "Maybe that's all it wa…" she trailed off as she noticed her breath was becoming visible as she exhaled and the phoenix tattoo on her arm began to get warm.

"Harry?" she said curiously as she pushed up her sleeve to find the tattoo glowing with a soft blue light. Looking at the boy next to her, she found he had also pushed up his sleeve and his tattoo was glowing as well.

After sharing a look with Tonks, Harry started to reach towards the mark on his forearm but stopped as he heard Tonks let out a loud gasp.

"Oh shit," Harry said as he followed her line of sight to find a large group of Dementors floating towards them. Spinning around, he only found more.

"Why can't I feel them?" Tonks asked in a voice that was near panic. She was about to activate their emergency portkeys when there was a double flash of flame in the air above them.

The Dementors all seemed to freeze with the appearance of the pair of blue phoenix. A short trill echoed through the air and the group of robed figures backed away slightly, forming a circle around Harry and Tonks who still had their wands up and were trying to figure out what was happening. Before they could speak, the phoenix descended from where they had been circling in the air above the odd group and landed on Harry and Tonks shoulders.

After settling itself, the one on Harry's shoulder let out a series of chirps. One of the Dementors floated forward in response causing Harry and Tonks to tense and raise their wands towards the perceived threat. Stopping a few meters in front of them, the Dementor bowed deeply before rising back to its full height and becoming still.

"What's going on Tonks?" Harry said staring at the tall figure before him.

"I don't know," she replied shaking her head.

Quiet reigned for several long seconds as the Dementors continued to stay perfectly still until the phoenix on Harry's shoulder nudged his head. Looking towards his companion, Harry saw the phoenix gesturing towards the Dementor with its beak.

"Go to it?" Harry asked.

A trill that could only be interpreted as a frustrated 'no' was let out by the phoenix. The bird continued to gesture and trill until Harry finally began to understand what it wanted him to do.

"You want me to talk to it? Tell it what to do?"

A very happy bit of song was heard and Harry couldn't help but smile as he felt his spirits lift slightly. Turning back towards the waiting Dementor, Harry took a deep breath and tried his best to hide his nervousness.

"Go back to Azkaban. You will no longer serve the Dark Lord."

The Dementor bowed deeply before turning and floating away, his companions followed his lead, each bowing before leaving.

With the departure of the Dementors, the tattoos on Harry and Tonks forearms quit tingling and the phoenix departed. A moment later, the sounds of wizards apparating could be heard all around the property and the pair was forced to use their emergency portkeys.

* * *

Appearing back in their room, Harry and Tonks looked at each other with an odd mixture of shock, confusion and happiness over what had just happened. 

"I don't know what that was all about but I'm glad it happened," Tonks finally said.

Harry nodded in complete agreement. Pushing his sleeve back up, he began examining his tattoo again. "I'm glad we didn't have to feel them," he said quietly as he ran his fingers lightly over the blue phoenix etched onto his forearm.

Knowing he was thinking about the visions the Dementors had brought to him in the past, Tonks placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Her gesture was met with a pained smile, but she could tell he was appreciative.

"Come on Harry, let's go check on Jake."

Harry gave her another nod and started to follow her out of the room when pain erupted across his forehead sending him pitching to the floor. "Arrggghh."

Tonks jumped to his aid, a look of fear and worry etched across her face. "Harry? What is it?" she asked frantically.

"Scar… Voldemort… Angry…" he said in gasping breaths.

Tonks rolled him over and laid his head on her lap. Conjuring a cold damp cloth, she pulled his hand away from his forehead and placed the towel on his inflamed scar. A brief feeling of relief passed though Harry before darkness began to creep in on his vision and he found himself looking down upon a pair of Death Eaters who were screaming and writhing around on the floor in agony.

* * *

"Fools!" Voldemort roared as he poured his power into the Cruciatus curse he was casting. After a long minute of the dark pain curse that both Death Eaters would swear had gone on for no less than an hour, Voldemort lifted the spell. 

"Remove them from my sight," the Dark Lord hissed.

A group of robed figures quickly moved forward and hauled the gasping and shaking pair up and out of the room. "Bellatrix stay. Everyone else leave me."

The remaining Death Eaters quickly followed the command, happy to be able to leave the angry Lord's presence.

"My Lord," Bella said with a crazed glint in her eye.

"Summon the Dementors back. I must know what happened and why they failed to complete their mission."

"Yes my Lord."

"Bella, this uprising by Potter must not go unpunished. I wish for you to plan an attack on Diagon Alley. Something large enough that Potter and his friends will have no chance of stopping it. We must let everyone know that we are to be feared. I will personally accompany you on this mission."

"Yes my Lord," Bella responded almost excitedly. "When do you wish to attack?"

"Select your group carefully. Be ready on Saturday in two weeks time. We'll attack at three o'clock when the alley is filled with people shopping."

"Yes my Lord," she said before leaving the room cackling evilly.

* * *

Harry blinked his eyes as he woke from the images of Voldemort's throne room to find Tonks looking down at him with tears running down her cheeks. 

"Hey…" he whispered.

"Harry!" she said as she realized he was awake and leaned down to hug him for a long minute.

"You ok?" he asked as she finally pulled back.

Tonks let out a small snort as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "I should be asking you that."

Harry couldn't help but smile. "I'm fine, just a little sore."

Tonks quickly picked up the cigar case and a moment later handed him a small vial of blue potion. A sigh of relief escaped Harry's lips as the potion made its way into his system, taking the pain away as it went. A minute later he was able to sit up.

"I think we pissed Voldemort off. He used Cruciatus on the Death Eaters that escaped earlier and then started planning an attack on Diagon Alley with Bellatrix."

"Oh crap. Do you know when?" Tonks asked in concern.

"Yeah, three o'clock on Saturday in two weeks. He said he wanted her to make it large enough that we couldn't possibly stop it and that he was going to go personally as well."

Tonks chewed on her bottom lip as she thought about the new information, it was something Harry had seen her do on occasion and found very endearing.

"This is going to take some planning. Luckily Jake should be up in a few more days."

Harry nodded and stumbled a little as he tried to get up. Tonks quickly stood and helped him to his feet after which she wrapped an arm around him and led him to his bed.

"I'm fine Tonks, I don't need to go to bed yet."

Tonks pushed him down and crossed her arms across her chest as she gave him her best glare. "You need rest Harry," she said before her glare changed into grin. "And as I need to return the favor, I'll do whatever it takes to keep you here, you know, take your clothes or snuggle."

Harry couldn't help but laugh and relaxed as Tonks pulled his shoes off and threw a blanket over him.

* * *

Dumbledore was sitting at his desk working and was about to quit for the night when he felt the gargoyle protecting the entrance to his office move aside. After a few seconds he looked towards the door to his office. 

"Come in Mr. Shacklebolt." he said with a smile. He was surprised to see the normally reserved auror practically skip across his office with a very large grin firmly in place.

"Albus! You won't believe it!" Kingsley said excitedly as he approached the large desk.

Dumbledore looked up curiously.

"The Dementors! They're returning to Azkaban!" he exclaimed.

Sitting up straight in his chair at the news, Dumbledore looked shocked and hopeful. "Are you sure? What are their intentions?"

"We thought it was an attack at first and tried to fight them off, but they didn't fight back. After awhile they began taking positions around the castle. They've returned to their patrols. I asked one of them if they had returned to guard the prison and he bowed to me before floating away."

Dumbledore's eyes began sparkling at the news. Having the Dementors side with Voldemort had been one of the old wizard's greatest concerns.

"Do you have any idea how this came to be?"

"Not exactly. There was another attack at that reporter's house. It was very cold when the Aurors showed up and they saw Potter and Tonks leaving the scene but we don't know what happened, no one was home."

Dumbledore continued to smile bringing his hands together under his chin as he leaned back in his chair going over the evening's events. "How did you manage this one Harry?" he said softly to himself, his eyes twinkling brightly.

* * *

Harry and Tonks continued to workout and practice their magic. They had to respond to one more attack which they were able to stop though one Death Eater managed to escape. Just before they left the site of the attack, they had noticed four figures in one of the houses windows smiling and waving at them in thanks. 

"Jake should be up tomorrow." Tonks said as she shared a simple lunch of sandwiches and chips with Harry.

"That's good, we've been lucky we haven't needed him."

"Yeah, I know. Hopefully it will stay calm for awhile, they're probably concentrating on the Diagon Alley attack. Maybe trying to lull us into a false sense of security or something."

Harry frowned at the thought of the upcoming attack. He dreaded the thought of what could happen but was slightly heartened that they knew of it in advance. "I'm still not sure what we should do about it. Maybe we could fight from the rooftops or something."

Tonks thought that sounded like a good idea and was about to respond when there was a knock at their door. Getting up from the table, she crossed the room and opened it to find Bill Weasley on the other side.

"Wotcher Bill." she greeted him happily.

"Hey Tonks, hey Harry." he said entering the room with a bag slung over his shoulder. "Where's Jake?" he asked looking around the room.

Harry answered as he stood to greet the eldest Weasley son. "Sleeping. He got hurt in an attack a few days ago but he should be up and around soon."

Bill nodded in understanding before heading towards the wall they kept their alarms on. "Good to hear he's alright," he said as he set down the bag and drew his wand. "I think I've come up with a solution to your alarm problem." he said with a grin before turning back towards the wall.

With a wave of his wand, Bill summoned all the mirrors and portkeys from the wall before dispelling the magic placed on them. After removing a long piece of parchment that was covered with notes from his bag, Bill began casting a long series of charms on the large map Tonks had appropriated from the Ministry that was normally used to track unforgivable curses.

After casting an untold number of spells, Bill removed a dozen mirrors that were several times larger than the ones Tonks had been setting up but were still fairly small. Each mirror had a small hook attached to one corner. He cast a quick sticking charm on each one before placing them on the wall in a circle around the map.

Once the last mirror was in place, he tapped the first one with his wand. A blue string of magic connected the mirror with the tip of his wand as he pulled it away. He then touched his wand to the map which caused it to glow for a second before the magic disappeared.

After repeating the procedure for each mirror, he removed a large number of necklaces from his bag and placed three on each mirrors hook. Stepping back he admired his work for several minutes before turning to Harry and Tonks who were watching intently.

"Like it?" he asked grinning widely.

"Looks simpler that what we had. How's it work?" Tonks asked.

"I basically added the foe glass charms to the map of Great Britain. When it detects a threat it will transfer the information to the closest mirror and you'll see a blue line connecting the mirror to the location of the attack. The instant a threat appears the portkeys on the mirror get connected to the location so you should still be able to port in," Bill said proudly.

"Wicked," Harry said grinning back.

"This is perfect! Thanks Bill," Tonks said also smiling widely.

"The hardest part was adjusting the sensitivity. At first I was picking up stuff all over the map so I had to turn it way down, but I was able to get it set pretty close during that last attack. You may get the odd criminal that's not a Death Eater showing up but for the most part it should work pretty well."

"This is just what we needed Bill. I can't thank you enough. This is a huge help."

"Don't worry about it." Bill said with a wave of his hand. "I said I'd help with anything and I meant it."

Harry nodded. "Have you figured anything out about watching Ginny's mail yet?"

Bill let out a long sigh. "No, not yet. I've set a ward to let me know if she gets any mail so I can check with her but so far nothing. I'm still working on it but I'm not sure what I'll be able to do."

After sharing some small talk, Bill left to return to the Burrow and Harry and Tonks cleaned up their forgotten lunch mess and spent the afternoon practicing magic.

It was nearing dinner time when Tonks groaned loudly and threw the book she had been reading on the coffee table in front of the couch where she was sitting. Harry couldn't help but grin at her. "Problem?" he asked with a smile.

Looking at Harry she couldn't help but smile back. For the last hour all she had been able to think about was him and the conversation she had tried to start a few days earlier. Deciding to take another shot at it, Tonks stood up from her seat.

"Come on Harry, let's go out to eat tonight."

Tossing his book on the table next to hers, Harry stood and watched as Tonks created a portkey for them.

"Where are we going?" he asked as he took hold.

"It's a surprise!" Tonks said cheerfully before she activated the portkey and the pair was swept away.

* * *

Tonks stumbled as the pair appeared but was caught by Harry before she could hit the ground. Looking up she found herself staring into Harry's eyes. His arms were wrapped around her and her body tingled at the intimate contact. 

"You ok?" Harry asked softly after several long seconds.

The quiet returned as they continued to stare into each other's eyes. Swallowing heavily, Tonks finally managed to answer in an equally soft voice. "Yeah, thanks."

The pair slowly parted, eventually managing to separate from each other. Smiling warmly, Tonks grabbed Harry's hand and began pulling him along.

Finally managing to shake himself out of the daze he had been in, Harry looked around at his surroundings. The air was humid and they were walking on a rocky surface. Not far away, Harry could make out the edge of a cliff they were apparently walking along the top of. Far below he could hear the sound of waves crashing against a sheer rock face. Turning his attention to the direction Tonks was leading him, Harry could just make out what he guessed was an eating establishment in the distance.

As they continued to walk, Harry became aware of Tonks hand in his own and felt his heart beat slightly faster. Not really thinking about what he was doing, Harry ran his thumb back and forth across hers. A moment later, realizing he might have gone too far, he quickly stopped and looked at Tonks. Meeting his eye, Tonks smiled brightly and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

It didn't take them long to get to the restaurant where they were led to a table on a deck over looking the ocean.

"This is incredible!" Harry said as he looked around.

Tonks smiled glad that he was enjoying it. "Mum and Dad used to bring me here on special occasions. I always loved listening to the sound of the waves while we ate."

The pair chatted lightly about anything and everything as they ordered and ate. Their feet found their way next to each other until their legs were touching under the table and while both enjoyed it, neither made any move to acknowledge the contact.

* * *

Walden McNair was just finishing his dinner when he looked up to see a familiar dark haired wizard enter the establishment with a person he knew to be another major thorn in the Dark Lords side. 

Raising his napkin to his face, McNair hid himself from view until the two had passed. Once they were seated, he threw several galleons on the table to pay for his meal and quickly left the restaurant. As soon as he was far enough away to not be heard, McNair apparated away.

* * *

Finishing their meal, Harry and Tonks were becoming more and more comfortable being together in an intimate setting. After paying their bill, they stood to leave. A thrill went through Tonks as Harry took hold of her hand before leading her out of the restaurant. 

Neither was in any hurry for the night to end and though they didn't say anything, by mutual decision they began slowly walking back the way they had come. Hand in hand they walked along, sharing smiles and the odd squeeze of their held hands as they each tried to work up the courage to tell the other how they felt.

They were almost to the spot where they had arrived when the mood was broken by a green jet of light that passed just in front of them. Turning towards the threat the pair just had time to make out a dozen or so figures in black robes and white masks before another killing curse headed straight for them.

Acting quickly, Harry pushed Tonks away from him and jumped back just as the curse passed in between them. Before they could return fire, several more curses impacted the ground where they had just been standing causing an explosion of rock and dirt.

Seeing Harry and Tonks forced apart, the Death Eaters took advantage and split into three groups. One headed straight down the middle to keep them separated while the other two headed directly for each of them.

Tonks cast a quick shield spell just in time to keep herself from being shredded to bits by flying shards of rock from the large explosion where she had just been standing with Harry. Taking a quick glance around, she saw the Death Eaters breaking up into several groups. Further examination of their tactics was put off as her shield collapsed under an onslaught of spells and she had to roll further away to keep from being cursed.

She conjured a thick slab of granite and cast a shield spell on it enabling her to regain her feet. After casting several offensive curses of her own, she looked past a small group of Death Eaters who had taken a position between her and Harry to find the object of her affection in a fight for his life.

Harry had been backup up to the cliff face and was casting magic as fast as he could while leaping about to avoid being hit. He had given up casting a shield in favor of sending spells at his opponents and because of this Tonks could make out several large gashes and patches of bloodied clothing on his body.

Deciding they were out numbered, Tonks made the decision to activate their emergency portkeys and get them to safety. "Emergency Ev…"

Her words changed into a scream as she saw several killing curses connect with Harry's chest sending him back off the cliff face in a flash of green light.

"NOOOOO!" she screamed in a rush of emotion as the boy she loved disappeared.

Pain and shock flooded her system until she noticed the Death Eaters turning their attention towards her. Her pain quickly turned into an anger unlike anything she had ever felt before at the sight of the Death Eaters who had just taken everything away from her.

All thoughts of portkeying to safety left her as she poured her rage into her magic. Curse after curse left her wands with a speed and power she had never used before. Her form fairly glowed with power as she charged forward destroying any Death Eater who came within her sight. Leveling her wand at the last Death Eater who was lying in a twisted heap on the ground bleeding heavily she was about to blast him to bits when he disappeared with a small pop.

Quickly scanning the area and finding nothing but the corpses of the men she had vented her wrath upon, she ran to the edge of the cliff where she had last seen Harry.

"Accio Harry!" she yelled loudly pointing her wand over the cliff where he had disappeared.

"Accio Harry! ACCIO HARRY!" Her cries became louder and more desperate as Harry failed to appear.

Tonks repeated the charm again and again as tears began to form in her eyes. Sobs escaped from deep within her chest as her anger passed to be replaced with profound and crushing grief that rent her soul with each beat of her heart.

The weight of her loss pressed down upon her causing her to collapse to her knees where she dropped her wands on the ground and covered her face as she broke down and began crying hysterically. As she wiped the tears from her eyes she noticed a third wand on the ground in front of her and reached down with shaking hands to pick up the smoldering ruin of Harry's wand.

Swallowing heavily, she picked up her own wands before quietly activating her emergency portkey. "Evac Harry. Evac Tonks." she said in barely a whisper.

Appearing in the bedroom at Privet Drive, Tonks looked frantically around praying Harry would be there. "Evac Harry!" she repeated desperately as she realized he wasn't there.

When he didn't appear she collapsed to the ground in tears, the horror of what had just happened taking hold once again.

* * *

McNair appeared in the apparition room, his broken and bloodied body instantly gaining the attention of the Death Eaters stationed there. 

"What the hell!" a robed figure said approaching the mess that was McNair.

"…Dar..k….Lord…….Da..rk…..Lor..d…" McNair muttered over and over through the pain he was in.

"Go tell our Lord that McNair has just arrived and is asking for him. Tell him it doesn't look like he'll live long."

One of the other Death Eaters nodded and ran out of the room. A minute later the Dark Lord himself entered and approached the fallen Death Eater.

"McNair," he said simply.

"My…Lo..rd…" McNair managed to say as his eyes focused on the snakelike face of the man he served. "P..p..ott..er…d.dead…d..de.ad.." With his message delivered, McNair let out a final choking gasp and died.

Voldemort looked down thoughtfully at the broken body of his servant for a long while before he began concentrating on his connection to Harry. As he realized he could no longer feel the slight pain he normally had to block from the boy he started to cackle evilly.

"My Lord? Is it true?" Bellatrix eventually asked.

Voldemort wore a look of twisted glee that made the other Death Eaters in the room shiver. "Yes Bella, it is true. I can no longer sense Potter."

A manic grin appeared on the crazy Death Eaters face at the announcement. "And your orders My Lord." she said letting out a cackle of her own.

The Dark Lords eyes seemed to glow with evil purpose as he answered her. "Continue to ready my forces. We will proceed with our planned attack on Diagon Alley."

* * *

Tonks lay on the floor where she had fallen, crying as her heart broke into a million pieces. Eventually she calmed enough to get up from the floor. Unable to think properly she wandered blankly around the room looking for a picture of Harry. 

After awhile she gave up and conjured a small mirror before morphing herself into the form of the boy she loved with all her heart. Her heart clenched in her chest and the tears returned at the sight of him staring back at her from the mirror. She walked across the room to Harry's unmade bed and set the mirror on his night stand before crawling into the bed noticing Harry's familiar scent as she pulled the blankets over her body.

Starring at the image of her lost love, Tonks eventually cried herself to sleep.


	10. Honks

**Chapter 10 – Honks**

A cold unlike anything he had ever known filled the chamber permeating everyone and everything in the area. Voldemort shuddered under the onslaught of the three Dementors in the room, pain and weakness from the cold and dark energies they were exuding making it difficult to think or move.

As he desperately tried to figure out how to get the situation back under control the shoddily clad figures lowered their hoods revealing grotesque faces that were normally hidden from view. Two of the Dementors began moving around the room sucking the souls from the many unconscious Death Eaters that were lying about while the third approached Voldemort himself.

A feeling of fear, something he had not experienced since he was a child living in a muggle orphanage, filled what remained of Voldemort's soul as the Dementor approached. It made him angry to think he was being defied and made to feel this way. Using the power the anger provided him with, Voldemort pushed the feelings away long enough to activate his group portkey and a moment later was whisked away from the attack along with what remained of the servants he had brought with him to the meeting.

Sensing that Voldemort and his Death Eaters were no longer there, the Dementors raised their hoods and left. Behind them the now empty room slowly warmed up, eventually returning to a comfortable temperature though it was now empty.

* * *

Jake woke from a long sleep and looked blearily around the room. His whole body ached and was stiff from lack of movement and his mouth felt like it was filled with cotton as did his head. He was surprised to realize he couldn't feel any magic around the house like he usually could. There was a large amount of power in the air which he was sure was the wards, but he couldn't seem to focus like he normally did. 'Probably whatever potions they've been pouring into me.' Jake thought. But much more importantly, he was pretty sure he was going to die soon if he didn't get something to drink. 

Pushing away as much of the remaining tiredness as he could, Jake slid his legs out from underneath the covers and sat on the edge of his bed. Finding a glass of water sitting on the stand beside him, he quickly picked it up and drank greedily. The cool liquid helped calm his thirst and as he continued to wake up and began to move about he felt the lingering soreness slowly beginning to slip away.

Collecting a change of clothes from the dresser, Jake wandered down the hall to the bathroom to take a shower. After soaking under the hot spray for a long while and having a much needed shave, he got dressed and went to Harry and Tonks room.

Jake knocked several times and receiving no response, finally opened the door a crack.

"Harry? Tonks?" he said as he stuck his head inside the dark room.

Still receiving no answer, Jake entered the room closing the door behind him. As he walked past the couch, he noticed the wall of mirrors had been changed and wondered how long he had been out and what was going on.

Continuing across the room, he approached Tonks bed to find it empty. He couldn't help but grin at the thought that maybe she wasn't using this bed anymore and was actually surprised when he found Harry alone in his.

"Get up Harry!" Jake said slapping him on the butt. "It's almost nine o'clock. You gonna sleep the whole day away?"

Jakes smile and good humor fell away in an instant as Harry's eyes opened and he saw the pain the young man was in. "Harry?" What's wrong? What's happened?" he asked in a concern filled voice as he sat on the bed next to the young man.

Tears began falling down Harry's face and sobs escaped his throat. Sitting up, Harry grabbed hold of Jake and held him tightly as he cried into the older man's chest. Jake wrapped his arms around him and rubbed his back, doing his best to calm the distraught teen.

Eventually the cries lessened and Harry pulled back slightly. Jake held him at arms length and began appraising him. The shower had helped a lot and as he concentrated on the figure before him he was starting to see through the haze that was still clouding his mind.

"Tonks?" he asked carefully.

Having recognized her magic, Jake wasn't surprised when Tonks face shifted back to her normal look.

"Tonks, what's wrong? Where's Harry?" he asked doing his best to stay calm around the distraught young woman.

A look of profound pain crossed her face and it was several minutes before she was able to respond. "…he's dead…" she finally managed to get out in a quiet, pain filled voice.

Jake felt his heart clench at her words and pulled her close as she began to cry anew. It took a long time, but eventually he managed to calm her down enough to learn what happened.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry Jake. I just wanted him to have some fun. I'm so sorry…" Tonks said between sobs.

"Shhhh, it's not your fault. It's going to be ok." Jake said doing his best to calm her.

"How's it going to be ok Jake!" Tonks yelled as her emotions began to get away from her. "How? He's gone! He's dead because I wanted to get out of here and do something. Because I wanted to take him out and tell him how… how I feel..."

As her words trailed off Tonks anger fell away and she once again broke down crying. Jake pulled her close and held her tightly as he had done before.

"I never even got to tell him…" Tonks sobbed. "I love him so much…"

Pushing his own feelings of loss aside, Jake did his best to console Tonks and convince her that it wasn't her fault. They spoke of Harry at length, retelling the stories of his past and talking about the man he was becoming. They laughed and cried as they remembered the young man fondly, frowning over the way he had been treated growing up and smiling about his love of pizza. Eventually the conversation turned to the darker side of the young man's life.

"Everyone was looking to Harry as their savior, they'll be crushed."

Jake let out a long pained sigh at her point.

"What are we going to do now?" Tonks asked wiping some tears from her bloodshot eyes.

"What do you mean?" Jake asked.

"I mean about Voldemort and his Death Eaters."

Jake shrugged his shoulders as if he didn't quite understand what she was saying. "I don't know, kill them?"

Tonks let out a short half-hearted snort. "But we can't, the prophecy. Only Harry could."

"Giving up?" Jake ground out.

Tonks was surprised to see Jake looking back at her with a bit of anger showing in his eyes.

"Screw the prophecy! I'm sick of hearing about it." Jake said angrily as he stood up. "Is that the only reason you're doing this?"

A look of shock mingled with a bit of shame appeared on Tonks face. She tried to form an answer of some sort but was cut off by Jake before she could say anything.

"Look," Jake said in a forced calm recognizing he needed to remain rational about this, "if you believe that load of crap then those Death Eaters couldn't have killed Harry. If not then we can kill that wanker."

As Tonks thought about what he said, an alarm sounded from across the room. Jake instantly went to the wall and found a mirror with several figures inside. Assuming the necklaces hanging from the mirror he was looking at were the portkeys he needed, he took one down and turned to walk back across the room. He was not surprised to find a very angry looking Tonks standing ready with her wand drawn.

Giving her a nod, Jake held out the portkey but stopped her just as she was about to activate it.

"You are right about one thing, the people need Harry. He's their focus and his loss would crush what little hope they've gained."

Tonks nodded and gave Jake an understanding grin. A second later her form began to shift until she was once again a dead ringer for Harry Potter.

Jake nodded approvingly before they turned so that they were back to back in preparation for port keying to the site of the attack. "Don't let your anger override your judgment out there Honks."

"What?" Tonks asked turning back around to face a now grinning Jake.

"Honks. You know, Harry, Tonks… Honks!"

Shaking her head, Tonks couldn't help but smile slightly before turning back around and activating the portkey.

* * *

A lone Dementor stood atop the battlements of the castle Azkaban facing out across a violent piece of ocean, the mainland just visible in the distance though the sightless creature could not see it. He stood perfectly still, the only movement caused by winds whipping his robes about his body. 

Eventually he felt his three strongest approaching in the distance. He was the oldest, the first of his kind and was therefore the strongest and the leader of his clan. The three approaching were almost as strong having been created within days of himself but he was still the first and greatly respected.

The three approached to float in front of their leader, bowing in respect before raising themselves to stand before him. To anyone watching they would appear to be standing immobile and unmoving, doing nothing more than watching the world around them but an important conversation was actually taking place through the magic that connects all Dementors.

'My Lord, it is done.'

'Very good. And how did the evil one take the news of our refusal to return to him?' the Lord of the Dementors asked.

'Just as we expected My Lord, he ran.'

'Very good.'

Silence filled the connection they shared as the Lord of the Dementors faced up towards the sun that was shining brightly overhead, willing himself to feel its warmth though he knew it was a futile effort. Eventually he returned his unseeing gaze to his companions.

'It is time.' he said simply.

As he turned to leave a scabby grey hand stopped him and he turned back to find his second in command holding him.

'Are you sure?' the second asked with what seemed like concern though there was no feeling in his words.

'I am sure as are you. We all knew this day would come. I will do what I must and you must too.'

The pair stood face to face for a long while before the second bowed deeply and floated away with his companions to summon those who would be needed. The Lord stayed still for several minutes after they departed before finally turning and floating down through the many passages and corridors of Azkaban to a secret room in the lowest part of the lowest dungeon, a room known only too the Dementors.

The room was round and fairly large, about twenty meters across its middle. The walls were rough, unfinished stone that rose from the floor for several meters before sloping inward to create a dome above the floor. While the walls and ceiling were unfinished, the floor was highly polished black marble. In the center sat a small circular dais about a meter tall and a meter across of the purest white marble.

Floating across the room, the Lord took a position on top of the dais ignoring the long lost sensation of pain he began to feel as he neared the white stone. Soon others of his kind began floating into the room, his pain increasing with the entry of each one. Finally the last entered, the thirteen Dementors taking positions in a circle around their Lord.

Barely able to concentrate through the pain he was in, the Lord of the Dementors addressed his people for what would be the last time.

'Over two millennia have come and gone as we have watched through our curse and waited. It is time. Do not mourn my passing but relish in the ascension of my second to Lord for it is time.' Pain continued to wrack his form preventing him from speaking further. Lowering his hood and taking a last deep rattling breath he prepared himself for what was to come.

As one those who had volunteered to be part of the ritual lowered their hoods and raised their right arms holding their hands with their palms pointing towards their Lord. After a few moments a beam of blackness connected each Dementors hand with the Dementor in the center who let out a screeching sound as the magic bound everyone in the circle together bringing his pain to unimaginable levels.

The Dementors in the circle opened their mouths and breathed in deeply causing the form of their Lord to waver and blur before they began to slowly exhale. As the breath left their bodies, the light connecting them to their Lord began to change. Small points of the whitest light began floating from their palms and slowly moving forward. More and more points of light were added until the beam was solid white.

The Dementors began to feel the same pain their Lord was experiencing, starting where the bright light was erupting from their palms and quickly spreading through their bodies as they continued to exhale. The white light continued to overtake the black beams until it finally reached the Dementor in the middle. As thirteen beams of light connected in the center another screech of pain erupted from the Lord. His figure began glowing brightly as the Dementors surrounding him continued to exhale.

One by one as their breath expired the Dementors around the circle fell over dead until the only one standing was the Lord in the center. As the last bit of the last beam entered his body the pain from the ritual passed and the now all white Lord looked around at his fallen companions. Feelings he hadn't felt for as long as he could remembered flowed through him as he used his new eyes to look around sadly at friends who had given up everything to do their part.

He could no longer feel the rest of the Dementors in the castle and knew his time was limited. Bowing to the honored dead he floated out of the chamber and made his way through the deserted passages of the castle. He longed to see his kinsmen as he floated towards the castles exit, but knew his presence would now bring them pain.

Exiting the castle, the Lord took a final look about the desolate rock that had been his home for what seemed like eternity. Across the castles battlements he found hundreds of his kinsmen lined up bowing in salute. Pride filled his heart and he returned their bow before turning and floating away from the island.

* * *

Tonks wearing the form of Harry and Jake appeared beside a large home situated in the countryside among a copse of trees. Quickly scanning the area, neither found any sign of Death Eater activity. Sharing a quick nod, the pair separated to take a look around the grounds. A minute later the pair met on the other side of the house. 

"Nothing, you?" Tonks asked.

"Clear. I can feel magic here though, we should check inside."

Receiving a nod in return, Jake led the way to a back door and cautiously pulled it open. The moment they passed over the threshold they began hearing the sounds of fighting and could see spell damage everywhere they looked.

"Crap! They put a silencing charm on the house!" Tonks said as she charged forward.

"Shit," Jake mumbled as his partner ran recklessly into the home. Knowing he would have to have a talk with her about this later, Jake began searching the various rooms.

* * *

Severus Snape was not happy to be where he was. Ducking behind a wall as a spell flew by his head, Snape let out a nervous breath. 

He was a potions master and spy, a very good one on both counts in his opinion, not a mindless minion to be thrown into these types of situations. Sure he knew this was part of his cover and he didn't really have any choice in the matter but why did it have to be this attack?

He knew the Dark Lord was planning a much larger attack and had hoped he would be able to find out more about it in time to put a stop to it but had been dismayed when instead of being brought up to speed, he had been told Harry Potter was dead and he was to lead a team on a raid to see what his companions response was to be.

Thoughts of Harry Potter's death swam in his mind and for some reason he just couldn't seem to grasp the possibility. It was no secret he hated the boy but at the same time he couldn't help but respect what the young wizard had accomplished. The thought that the boy was killed by a mindless group of Death Eaters after standing up to the Dark Lord as many times as he had was simply unbelievable.

Snape rolled his eyes and groaned as one of the recruits assigned to him jumped from his cover and charged the barricade at the far end of the hall only to end up with a large hole in his chest for his effort.

"Idiots," he grumbled.

It seemed like the Dark Lord would accept just about anyone as a Death Eater these days. He knew he should have some of his forces looking for the arrival of Potter's friends and preparing an ambush but he wasn't about to tell his companions that. No, better to appear mindless himself. His real concern was what to do when they arrived, and he knew they would. Of course he would reveal himself but he wasn't sure that would make much difference to the Metamorph or Muggle after everything he'd done to Potter.

He was about to cast another spell when there was a loud explosion behind him. Turning around he saw the shattered remains of two of his team. Ducking back behind his corner, Snape quickly pulled off his mask and broke it in half before tossing it on the ground at his feet.

"Potter's friends are here!" he shouted at the other Death Eaters. He knew the explosion had already made them aware of this but felt it would help his credibility for them to hear him say it. Mostly, however, he wanted to let Tonks and Trapp know he was there.

Taking a deep breath, Snape ducked out from behind his cover and sent a blasting hex down the hallway. A moment later he felt as if his legs had been run over by a truck and fell to the floor in pain as they gave way, the bone shattering hex he had been hit with making it impossible for him to stand.

He watched as several more powerful curses passed above him no doubt on their way to remove other Death Eaters from this plane of existence. After giving them ample time to hit their targets, Snape activated his group portkey.

Just before he disappeared along with what was left of his forces, his face took on a look of surprise as he spied a very much alive Harry Potter standing at the top of the stairway with a look of anger and determination on his face.

* * *

Rounding a corner at the base of the stairs leading to the upper floor, Tonks spied a pair of Death Eaters crouched close to the top of the stairway, their attention focused on the battle they were fighting with whomever it was that they had chased up there. 

Raising the wand she held in her left hand, Tonks fired a blasting hex at the pair. They both died having never even seen their enemy. As she carefully climbed the stairs knowing she had given away her position, she was surprised to hear Snape's voice echo through the home.

"Potter's friends are here!"

She thought it odd that he would say that knowing that everyone in the house knew she was there before realizing he had said it to her, not to the other Death Eaters.

Taking a peek over the top of the stairs as she neared the top, she saw a robed figure duck out from behind a corner and fire a blasting hex down the hall. Not knowing where Snape was, Tonks decided to use a non-lethal spell and fired a bone shattering curse at his legs. She only found out for sure it was him after he had fallen.

'Oh' well,' she thought, 'bloody git deserved it.'

Looking further down the hall, she saw that his spell had taken out a further two Death Eaters. Acting quickly, she fired off several spells directing them at the few remaining black robed figures. A moment after the spells connected, Snape and one other Death Eater disappeared.

Tonks quickly searched the upstairs for any lingering Death Eaters but found none that were alive.

"Hold!" Tonks shouted as she had to jump out of the way of a spell.

"Who are you?" a scared voice asked.

"I'm To… Harry! Harry Potter!"

Looking out from where she was hiding, Tonks saw a pair of scared faces looking at her from behind the barricade they had created during the attack. Moving slowly, Tonks kept her hands in plain view as she stepped out from her cover to let them know Harry had come to save them.

"You all ok?" Tonks asked as she saw the looks of relief and gratitude appear on the couples faces.

"Yeah… Yeah, I think so." the man muttered as he appraised himself and his wife.

It didn't take them long to move the barricade out of the way after which the woman ran up to Harry and gave him a big hug and kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you! Thank you so much! You saved my babies!" she said with tears in her eyes.

Looking back up the hall, Tonks saw the ladies husband walking towards them with a small bundled up baby in each arm.

Feeling a hand on her shoulder, Tonks turned around to find Jake looking at her. "Come on, we need to go."

Giving him a nod, she turned around to face the couple again. "The Aurors should be here any minute. Just tell them we were the ones that killed the Death Eaters and you shouldn't have any problems."

The couple nodded and thanked them again before they disappeared.

* * *

Snape appeared at the arrival point in the Dark Lords home and almost passed out from the pain the transport had caused him. Two guards quickly rushed over to help only to be waved away. He definitely didn't want any of the idiots the Dark Lord was making Death Eaters these days working on him. 

After a few minutes, he managed to sit up enough to assess the damage. His pant legs were torn to shreds and bloody, his legs twisted at odd angles that should not have been possible. 'Bloody Potter!' he growled to himself as he took in his condition.

Rummaging though the many pockets of his robes, Snape finally found and quickly swallowed a pain relieving potion letting out a sigh of relief as the pain fell away. Once the potion had removed most of the pain he was in, Snape straightened out his legs as best he could and bound them tightly. It took him a fair amount of time, the procedure causing considerable pain even with the potion in his system but eventually he finished.

Looking around the room, he realized only one other Death Eater had survived the attack and made it back, though from his lack of movement it looked as if he had died not long after arriving.

"You two," Snape hissed at the pair of guards, "take me to our Lord."

The two men swallowed heavily not particularly wanting to be in their Lord's presence when he learned of a failed attack but knew not to question the orders of an inner circle member. Stepping forward they each took one of Snape's arms and helped him up after which they practically had to drag him down the hall.

Entering a large stone room, they found Voldemort sitting on a large throne and took Snape to stand before him.

Voldemort's eyes narrowed as he took in Snape's condition. "Report Severus."

Snape bowed his head as best he could before beginning. "The attack proceeded just as you had ordered. We had the family trapped in an upstairs bedroom when Potter showed up."

"What!" the Dark Lord hissed. "I assume you mean Potter's friends?"

Snape took a deep breath. "No my Lord. I mean Harry Potter was there. He's the one who cursed me."

Fire burned deep within the Dark Lord's eyes and even Snape with his mastery of Occlumency and years of spying felt nervous at the rage he could see boiling within.

Concentrating on his connection to Harry, Voldemort could just make out a slight tingling sensation. Bringing his attention back to the potions master before him he drew his wand intent on venting his anger.

"Crucio!"

* * *

Jake turned as they appeared back at Privet Drive to find Tonks still wearing Harry's form and staring off into space. The look on her face caught him by surprise making him forget all about the berating he had planned for her as his anger at her recklessness fell away. She looked lost, scared and unsure as to what to do next as her world collapsed around her. 

The fight drained out of Tonks as she appeared back in the bedroom she had shared with Harry. As she adjusted to her surroundings, she spied the mirror she had conjured the night before. A mirror that was now reflecting Harry's blood covered face back at her. She knew it was her face covered with the blood of the Death Eaters she had just fought, but the image was a strong one and in the wake of her grief was simply too much.

As quickly as she was able to summon the magic to do so, Tonks morphed back into her usual form taking another look at the mirror to make sure it was really her before she turned around and threw herself at a concerned looking Jake as she broke down sobbing.

"Shhhh…" Jake murmured softly as he wrapped his arms around the young woman crying on his chest. "It's ok, I'm here…"

Tonks continued to grip Jake tightly and cried for a long while.

"S… Sorry." Tonks finally mumbled.

"No problem." Jake said sending her a small smile. "Feeling better sis?"

Tonks let out a pained chuckle at his comment and shook her head no where she was still lying against his chest. He couldn't help but let out a short chuckle of his own at the child like gesture.

"No, I don't suppose you would." he said with a sigh.

After a few more minutes of silence, Jake separated from her slightly. "Come on, it's been a long day. Why don't we turn in for the night?"

Nodding in agreement, Tonks moved back while wiping the most recent tears from her cheeks. "I need to write Dumbledore first," she said as she moved towards the desk.

"Alright, but… then get some rest ok?"

Receiving a nod from Tonks, Jake turned and left the room. As he closed the door behind him, a weight settled in his chest and he slumped against the wall. He'd almost made another joke about having Harry keep her in bed and only just stopped himself. Damn but he missed that kid.

* * *

One of the largest men people had ever seen walked down the road from Hogsmeade heading towards Hogwarts Castle. At his side an old boarhound trotted along almost having to run to keep up with the man's lengthy strides. Night was falling as he approached the entrance to Hogwarts grounds and he was surprised when the large dog he was companioned with began barking loudly and broke into a run towards the gates. 

"Fang! What's all this about now?" Hagrid hollered as he picked up his own pace to catch up with his dog.

As he neared the gates, Hagrid found Fang nosing around a body lying in the center of the road.

"Professor!" Hagrid exclaimed as he rolled over the man to find the unconscious form of Severus Snape.

As carefully as he could, Hagrid picked up Snape's body and began running towards the castle intent on getting the injured man to the infirmary.

* * *

As the blackness receded and the world slowly swam back into focus, Severus Snape let out a low groan. His entire body ached and his legs felt like they were full of splinters. All in all, it wasn't starting out to be a very good day. 

"Easy my boy," Albus said as he patted his Potion Masters arm. "You apparently had a rough evening."

Focusing on the old wizard before him, Severus tried to speak but his throat felt like it had been rubbed raw and filled with gravel.

"Here you go."

Giving a nod to his friend and mentor, Severus accepted the offered glass of water and drank deeply. The cooling effect of the liquid quickly took the pain from his throat and he suspected there had been a potion of some sort in the drink to help speed his healing.

"Headmaster."

"Now, now, no need to be so formal Severus." Dumbledore said with a grin.

Snape just nodded. "Your Golden Boy is the one who did this to my legs," he finally managed to say.

Dumbledore let out a loud sigh. "Perhaps he did not realize it was you."

"He knew." Snape grumbled before turning pensive. "One thing doesn't make sense to me however. The Dark Lord told me Potter was dead before he sent me on the mission. Our goal was not specifically to harm the family but to find out what Tonks and Trapp's response to Potter's death would be, whether they would continue to fight or give up."

"When I returned and informed the Dark Lord that Potter had been there and stopped the raid he was most upset. I distinctly remember watching him concentrate after I told him. It was as if he was adjusting his Occlumency shields. I suspect he was feeling for his connection with the boy but if he can feel him, why did he think he was dead?"

"Why indeed Severus, why indeed," Albus said as he contemplated the new information.

After sitting in a comfortable silence for several minutes, Dumbledore looked at Snape with a kind smile. "You're injuries were quite extensive and severe. I fear the burden you carry is becoming far too dangerous my friend. I would beg you to leave Voldemort's side."

Severus smiled, something he only ever did when he was alone with Albus, the man he considered his surrogate father and best friend. "Sorry Albus, but I have to turn you down again."

Albus just smiled and nodded. It wasn't the first time he had tried to get Severus to end his spying days and probably wouldn't be the last but he had to try. As he was getting up to leave, an owl flew in the window and across the room where it dropped a letter in the Headmaster's lap.

Picking up the note, Albus recognized the messy scrawl as that of Tonks.

_Professor,_

_Would you please send me a letter detailing everything you know about the life of Tom Riddle. I understand this will be a lengthy pursuit but we believe it necessary to learn everything we can in the pursuit of our goal, the defeat of Voldemort and his forces._

_Sincerely,  
__Tonks_

Folding the letter and placing it in his pocket, Albus turned back to Severus and wished him well before leaving the infirmary to return to his office. Pausing at one of the many bookcases that adorned the walls he removed a thin black book before approaching Fawkes perch.

"Are you able to move through the wards surrounding Privet Drive?" he asked.

Fawkes gave Albus a single nod.

"I suspected as much. Ms. Tonks has requested my information on Tom Riddle. Would you be so kind as to take it to her for me?"

After giving him another nod, Fawkes reached out with his powerful talons and carefully took hold of the small book.

Albus watched as Fawkes lifted off from his perch and prepared to travel to Harry's home. He was surprised when after the ball of flame Fawkes normally used to travel disappeared, Fawkes was still there. As the large bird settled back down on his perch, Albus noticed that the book was gone.

"Did you give it to her?" he asked curiously.

'Of course,' Fawkes trilled in response.

"I had no idea you could send messages like that. Is there anything else you can do that you haven't seen fit to share with me over the years?" Albus asked with raised eyes and a teasing smile.

Fawkes just seemed to shrug noncommittally.

Albus couldn't help but laugh. "Ah my friend, you'll be the death of me yet." he said grinning widely.

'I don't see how that's possible,' Fawkes sang back with a good deal of humor in his voice.

* * *

The next couple of days passed quickly for Tonks and Jake. The journal detailing Riddle's life as it was known by Albus Dumbledore was sent to them and they had spent almost every waking moment pouring over its contents. There had been no more Death Eater attacks and the pair suspected Voldemort was busy preparing his forces for his planned attack on Diagon Alley. 

"We need to start checking these out," Jake said as he read over the list they had created of possible locations for Voldemort's hidden Horcruxes.

Tonks nodded and set aside the small black book before drawing her wand and Joining Jake. Grabbing his hand, she looked up at him. "Ready?"

Receiving a nod, Tonks duel Apparated them to an old manor house that had once been in the Gaunt family.

"Nothing." Jake said as he wandered around the ruins of the old home. It appeared there had been a rather large fire in the past and a foundation along with a few good size piles of rubble was all that remained.

"Nothing at all?" Tonks asked back.

Jake shook his head. "Nope, I can feel the remnants of the old wards that used to surround the house but no magical objects at all."

"Alright," Tonks said taking Jakes hand again.

Their next stop brought them to the small alley behind the Leaky Cauldron that held the entrance to Diagon Alley. Making sure the hoods of the cloaks they wore were coving their faces, the pair opened the archway and began their trek through the crowds as they headed for Knockturn Alley.

"What are you doing?" Jake asked Tonks as he noticed her looking around at the sky above them.

"The attack in a week. Harry…" she trailed off slightly, the pain of his loss still fresh in her mind but was able to pull herself together enough to continue. "Harry thought we might be able to fight from the rooftops somehow."

After giving Tonks a comforting smile and pat on the shoulder, Jake looked upwards and examined the area finding several good spots to attack from. Lowering his gaze he began looking all around the alley, a plan beginning to form in his mind.

They continued to talk in low tones, planning for the Dark Lord's attack which was only a week away until they reached the entrance to Knockturn Alley. As they crossed over the threshold and entered the area long famed for its darker side, Tonks was surprised as Jake took the lead.

Rolling her eyes, Tonks figured he was trying to play the role of the over protective brother. "It's down there on the right," she said trying to point out the shop to him.

"I know," was the simple and slightly shocking reply she received.

"You know?" she asked curiously.

Jake turned towards her and held his hood open slightly to reveal a mischievous grin. "Not my first time," he said with a wink before returning to his course.

With a quick laugh and a shake of her head, Tonks fell in step beside him as they made their way to Borgin & Burkes where Tom Riddle had apparently worked for a time after he left Hogwarts.

A bell sounded as they entered the shop which they were happy to find was empty of patrons.

"Anything?" Tonks asked quietly as they wandered through the shop.

"Not really," Jake whispered back. "There's a lot of bad stuff here, a lot more below us somewhere but not what we're looking for."

"How may I be of assistance to you," a smooth voice said from across the counter they were nearing.

Stepping forward Tonks addressed the old man, discretely slipping her wand out of its holster and into her hand as she did so. "I understand a man named Tom Riddle used to work here."

A brief flash of fear appeared in Borgin's eyes before his mask of indifference returned. "Sorry, but I'm afraid you are mistaken. I have never employed anyone by that name."

Stepping forward to stand next to Tonks, Jake removed a large bag of gold from one of his robe pockets and threw it on the counter in front of Borgin where it landed with a heavy thud. "I understand a man named Tom Riddle used to work here."

The old man eyed the gold greedily. It was clear he knew who they were speaking of and was currently waging a personal war inside as he weighed his fear of the man they were asking about against his greed and the large bag of gold setting on the counter before him. Eventually, greed won out.

"You Aurors?" Burgin asked moving his gaze from the large leather pouch to the pair of robed figures in front of him.

"No," they both answered.

Borgin nodded. "Yeah, I remember him. Young kid, came here to work straight out of Hogwarts. He loved all the Dar... errr… stuff I collect here."

"We know you deal in Dark Objects but that is not our concern. What exactly was he interested in?" Jake said.

Nodding in understanding, Borgin continued to tell the pair everything he could remember about Tom Riddle.

"Oh, there was one other thing." Borgin said as Tonks and Jake were about to leave. "He seemed especially interested in anything to do with the founders of Hogwarts. Was nuts about the stuff. He often met up with an old lady who also shared a similar fascination."

"What was her name? Do you know where we can find her?" Tonks asked.

"I don't know what she was called, but I do know she died right about the time Riddle stopped working for me."

Giving Borgin a nod, Tonks and Jake left the shop and quickly made their way back to the entrance to Diagon Alley.

"Well that was a bust," Tonks said.

"Yeah, at least we found out a bit more information. Maybe got a few new leads," Jake replied.

"I suppose," Tonks said with a sigh. "You ready for the next one?"

Jake took a deep breath and nodded. Apparition wasn't such a bad way to travel, but he didn't particularly like the way it made him feel while he was doing it. Preparing himself mentally, he watched as Tonks grabbed his hand and performed the magic.

After feeling like they had been squeezed though an old garden hose, Tonks and Jake appeared in front of a large dark and foreboding structure. The building was in an advanced state of disrepair and was the classic Muggle representation of a haunted insane asylum. Tonks shivered at the sight of the dreary old building and was shocked when Jake let out a groan. Turning towards her friend, she was surprised to see him looking sick like he was about to throw up.

"You ok Jake?" she asked with concern.

Jake took several large breaths as he fought to compose himself. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just wasn't quite ready for that."

"For what?"

"I don't know for sure but I think we've found what we're looking for," he said looking very serious. "It's bad Tonks… real bad."

Looking back at the imposing building, Tonks felt a shudder run through her body.

"I've felt this magic before," Jake whispered.

"What?" Tonks said turning back to him.

"I was on a ship. We came across a rock island with a fort on top. As we got nearer, the captain changed our course and everyone seemed to forget about it." Jakes gaze never left the Orphanage Riddle had grown up in as he continued to speak in low tones. "Everyone except me."


	11. The Orphanage

**Chapter 11 – The Orphanage**

The old wrought iron gate protecting the grounds of the Orphanage fought to stay closed, the densely overgrown vines and vegetation making it difficult to see. Eventually with liberal use of the Diffindo spell, Tonks managed to cut the vines away enough to open the gate. It creaked open noisily on its rusted hinges as she pushed it open, the noise making the old building seem that much more ominous.

After sharing a quick look with Jake, Tonks took a deep breath and stepped forward holding one of her wands out in front of her at the ready.

They made their way across the grounds, forcing their way through the tall grasses and unkempt gardens as they headed for the large building's front door. Climbing over a final fallen tree limb, Tonks and Jake stepped upon a crumbling walkway and followed it to a set of concrete stairs that led up to the buildings front porch.

As the pair approached the steps, Jake reached out and stopped Tonks.

"What is it?" Tonks whispered in a nervous voice.

Even with the evil in the air putting a damper on his mood, Jake couldn't help but smile at his honorary little sister. Leaning down he whispered in her ear. "Is someone spying on us?"

Tonks looked around quickly slightly panicked at the thought that the Dark Lord had some of his minions guarding the orphanage. When her gaze returned to Jake, her worried look changed to a scowl as she noticed he was holding back his laughter and realized he was teasing her for being so nervous.

"Wanker," she mumbled causing Jake to laugh out loud.

"Sorry, couldn't resist," Jake chuckled.

Tonks shook her head and started forward only to be stopped by Jake again.

"There's some sort of ward covering the building," Jake said when Tonks looked up at him questioningly.

Giving Jake a nod of understanding, Tonks turned back towards the building and began casting a series of spells designed to determine what wards were in place. A few minutes later she turned back to Jake.

"It's some sort of repelling ward but I've never seen anything quite like it. I don't think it's anything that will harm us though. I think it's just here to scare people away."

Jake nodded. "I don't feel anything overly malicious in the magic, shall we?"

Taking a deep breath, the pair took a step forward and began climbing the stairs. As they passed over the first one, they could feel some of the ominous and scary feelings the sight of the building had been giving them fall away.

Letting out the breath she had been holding, Tonks turned back to Jake and smiled. "That's better."

Jake nodded in agreement though he didn't smile. "Yeah, great, at least the building's not scary anymore," he said with no small amount of sarcasm.

Tonks looked at him curiously until he elaborated.

"There's a lot of evil here," he said simply.

Continuing up the stairs, the pair made their way across the small porch that ran the length of the building and up to the front door. As was the case with the rest of the old building, the large door was battered and chipped with paint peeling from its surface. There were three small dirty windows arranged at roughly eye level one of which was broken.

"Anything?" Tonks asked as they approached.

"Nope," Jake replied letting her know he could sense no magics on the door.

Tonks turned the rusty knob and pushed but the door did not give. Stepping forward, Jake moved Tonks out of the way and tried the door himself. When it still did not open, he put his shoulder to it giving it several hard shoves before the rotten wood of the door jamb finally gave way and the door swung open with a loud creak.

Jake stepped across the threshold and into the entryway letting out a loud whistle at the sight that greeted him.

The entry into the building though in poor condition from years of abandonment, was large and fairly ornate. The ceiling was two stories high and had a large chandelier hanging from its center. Directly ahead of them was a wide set of stairs that led to the second floor. A balcony ran the length of the room at the top of the stairs with several doors and hallways leading off of it in various directions. On the main floor there were a few doors along the walls on either side of the entry way and what appeared to be a main hallway running through the building underneath the balcony on the far side of the stairs.

"Damn. What the hell was Riddle's problem? Doesn't look to me like he could have had it all that bad," Jake said as he wandered slowly across the room taking in the sight of the large entry way.

"Aw shit!" Jake suddenly yelled as part of the rotten floor gave way beneath him and he began to fall.

Moving her attention from the room to Jake, Tonks had her wand trained on him in an instant, an incantation leaping from her lips. "Accio Jake!"

Jakes body reversed directions as the spell hit him and he flew across the room to where Tonks was waiting to catch him. Being a fair amount larger than her, she was unable to support his weight, his momentum sending them both to the ground.

"Thanks," Jake said breathing heavily as he extracted himself from Tonks.

Receiving no response, Jake turned to see a petrified look on Tonks face.

"Tonks?" he said softly after taking a quick scan of the hall and finding nothing. "Tonks?"

Seeing tears in her eyes, Jake pulled the younger girl in for a hug, holding her tightly until she was able to return to the present.

"Thanks," she finally said as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

"You ok?"

Tonks nodded and gave him a forced smile.

"What happened?" he asked.

Taking a shuddering breath, Tonks did her best to keep her voice from cracking as she spoke. "Harry. I saw Harry flying over the cliff… when you fell."

Jake nodded in understanding and gave her another hug before standing up. Offering her a hand, he helped Tonks to her feet before carefully approaching the large hole decorating the center of the room that he had almost fallen into.

"That would've stung."

Tonks joined him looking down into the dark basement of the building. Unable to see the bottom, Tonks pointed her wand into the hole. "Lumos!"

A shaft of light exploded from the tip of her wand lighting the floor below to reveal a large room with debris that used to be the floor of the entry way scattered about. Along the edges of the room old broken desks and chairs were haphazardly stacked.

"Storage room," Tonks said as she moved the light around to examine the room below.

"Yeah. We need to get down there."

Carefully stepping back from the edge of the hole, Tonks and Jake made their way around the entry room to the back side of the stairs where they found a door they hoped led to another set of stairs that went down.

Reaching for the handle, Tonks barely heard Jake yell "No!" before her hand came into contact with the knob and she let out a scream of pain. Acting quickly, Jake threw his body at Tonks, tackling her roughly to the ground to separate her from the doors handle.

"Tonks! Tonks!" Jake yelled trying his best to gain her attention.

A few moments later, Jake let out a sigh as Tonks groaned loudly.

"You ok?" he asked as he examined her still shaking body.

"Gods but I've got a headache," Tonks said getting a laugh out of Jake who was thankful she seemed no worse for the wear.

Removing a potions store from his pocket, Jake gave her a potion to help with her headache and watched her face relax in relief as she swallowed the vial of liquid.

"We're in over our heads here."

Tonks let out a sigh of her own and eyed the door knob warily. "Yeah, I guess we are."

"We need Bill. He does this kind of thing for a living doesn't he?"

Tonks nodded. "Yeah, bloody nuts if you ask me."

Climbing to his feet, Jake once again helped Tonks up from the floor. "Come on, let's go home and see if we can't get a hold of him."

Receiving a nod from his companion, Jake waited until she had activated her portkey and disappeared before activating his own leaving the Orphanage Riddle had grown up in deserted once again.

* * *

Appearing back in what used to be the smallest bedroom at Number Four Privet Drive, Jake went to clean up while Tonks sent a note to Bill asking him to join them as soon as he was able. 

Once Jake was done in the shower, Tonks took her turn in the bathroom opting to take an extra long soak in the tub to help get over her shakiness from the curse that was on the doorknob before joining Jake back in their living area where he had dinner waiting for them. As was not unusual for Tonks these days, a wave of sadness passed over her as she saw the pizza Jake had ordered for them sitting on the coffee table and thought about how much Harry would have loved it.

Shaking off her sadness, Tonks was about to take a seat as a small owl flew in the window. After removing a scroll from its outstretched talons, the owl left and Tonks sat down unrolling the parchment as she did so to find a very short note.

_On Order mission. Will return in evening in two days time.  
__-Bill_

"What did he say?" Jake asked as she dropped the note on the table and took a slice of pizza.

Glaring at Jake, Tonks chewed the bite she had taken as quickly as she could before swallowing and turning to face the grinning man. "Why is it you always wait until I take a bite to ask me something?"

Jake shrugged his shoulders and continued to grin. "Well, you know I noticed that waitresses always seem to wait until I have a mouthful to ask me how everything is. I wondered why that was until I started doing it to you and now I know they do it because… it's funny."

Tonks groaned and rolled her eyes before casting Incendio on Bill's note and returning to her pizza. Grinning internally, she continued to eat while ignoring Jakes laughter and repeated attempts too get her to tell him what Bill had written. When she was finally done eating she sat back with a hand resting on her now full belly.

"So…" Jake said after sitting in silence with her for a couple minutes.

Tonks let out a snort of amusement. "He's out on a mission for the Order right now. He said he'd be back in two days."

Jake nodded. "Fair enough, the crazy insane asylum isn't going anywhere."

After sharing a laugh at Jake's reference to the feeling the wards had created around the Orphanage, the pair chatted for a long while before the day finally caught up with them and they said goodnight.

Walking across the room to Harry's bed where she had slept every night since she had lost him, Tonks briefly morphed into Harry's form holding a small mirror up in front of her as she sat down.

"Night Harry," she said softly before placing a soft kiss on the image that greeted her. "I miss you."

After staring at Harry's reflection for another minute, she placed the mirror on the night stand and crawled into bed. With a wave of her wand the light went out and she settled in for another restless night without her love.

* * *

A muddy and disheveled Bill Weasley walked through the entry hall of Grimmauld Place mumbling under his breath angrily about stupid swamps and worthless Order missions as he headed towards the kitchen where he knew there were people waiting for his report. Pushing open the door, he stepped down the remaining stairs and dropped heavily into a chair next to the large wooden table. 

Looking around he found Dumbledore, McGonagall and Moody were present. All seemed to be looking at him as if expecting he had brought them news that would turn the tide of the war in their favor. Sighing internally he let out a breath and told them how it was.

"Nada."

"Excuse me?" Dumbledore said.

"I said 'Nada', as in no, there's nothing there."

"Nothing?" Dumbledore queried not having expected that answer. "But Severus was so sure."

Bill shook his head. "Nope, unless the Dark Lord's enlisting mosquitoes and leaches now he has no forces stationed there."

Dumbledore seemed to sag at the news and looked thoughtful for a few minutes before his gaze returned to Bill. "What happened to Mr. Fletcher?"

"We're both beat from slugging around in the muck for three days so I sent him home while I came to report."

"Very well," the headmaster said having no choice but to accept that the swamp had been a waste of their time. "Thanks for checking into this for us. Why don't you go home and relax for a few days and we'll see you at the next Order meeting."

With a small nod to the assembled group, Bill stood and left Grimmauld place.

* * *

Apparating directly into his room at the Burrow, Bill grabbed a clean change of clothes and went to take a quick shower. Once again clean and smelling much fresher than he had upon his arrival home, Bill wandered down the hall stopping to check on Ginny on his way to dinner. 

Finding her room empty, Bill continued on to the kitchen glad she was beginning to get out of her room where she had been hiding since her run in with Voldemort. As he entered the kitchen, he noticed Fred distracting Ginny while George sprinkled something on her food. Getting a grin on his face he quickly cast the Bat Bogey hex on Fred.

"Bugger Ginny!" Fred yelled as he jumped up from his seat trying unsuccessfully to swat away the Bogey's that were attacking him.

"Ginny! What have you done young lady! You know you're not allowed to use magic out of school!" Molly said giving her daughter a stern look.

"Mum!" Ginny quickly stated. "I didn't! Honest!"

"Ahem," Bill said clearing his throat loudly to gain everyone's attention.

"Bill!" Everyone quickly said excitedly though they all became quiet as they noticed he was pointing his wand at George.

"Err, what's up Bill?" George said trying his best to look innocent and cheerful.

A large grin crept up on Bill's face. "Eat it."

George's eyes seemed to become impossibly wide and everyone else in the room was looking back and forth between the pair in confusion except Fred who was still trying to fight off the attacking Bogey's.

"Umm, ok, no problem," George said before picking up his fork and dipping it into his mashed potatoes.

"Uh uh," Bill said nodding towards the plate in front of his little sister. "Ginny's."

"Now Bill…" George began before being cut off by Bill.

"In fact," he said waving his wand at Fred to cancel the spell he had cast on him earlier, "why don't you also take a bite."

Fred and George looked at each other in alarm as they tried to figure out what to do.

"Now!" Bill reiterated in a firm voice letting them know there was no escaping their fate. He couldn't help but laugh internally as he noticed everyone at the table had caught on to what was going on and was waiting expectantly to see what would happen.

Knowing they had been caught and there was no escape, Fred and George each scooped up a large bite and held them towards each other.

"Cheers!" they both said before downing the bites.

Not long after they swallowed the food, a series of pops echoed through the kitchen. Everyone broke down laughing as Fred and George sprouted rainbow colored afro's and shrunk until they were only a foot tall.

"Alright, alright," Fred said.

"Nothing to see here," George continued.

The room broke down into further laughter at the pair's squeaky high pitched voices. They sounded exactly like they had been sucking on helium balloons.

While everyone was distracted laughing at the twins who now seemed more than happy to be the center of attention, Bill surreptitiously cast another charm on each of them and sat down next to Ginny.

"Thanks Bill," she said giving her older brother a large smile and hug.

"Anytime Sprout," he replied smiling back.

After banishing Ginny's food, Bill made them each another plate before digging in hungrily.

As everyone finished their meals, Fred could be heard squeaking to George. "This should have worn off by now."

"Yeah, actually it should have only lasted about five minutes."

Bill let out a little snort gaining Ginny's attention to whom he gave a quick wink. Getting up from the table he smiled brightly at the twins. "Tell you what, if you promise me you won't prank Ginny anymore I'll think about returning you to normal."

"What!" George blurted out.

"I'm shocked you would think we would be a party to such shady dealings!" Fred said trying his best to sound shocked at the very idea.

Bill simply rolled his eyes and headed for the door to the back yard.

"Wait! Where are you going? I promise!" Fred yelled jumping up from the stack of books he'd been sitting on so that he could reach his plate.

"Promise what?" Bill asked as he stopped at the door and looked back over his shoulder.

The twins let out a high pitched sigh. "We promise not to prank Ginny anymore."

"Glad to hear it fellas," Bill said as he pushed open the door. "I don't have time to fix you right now, but it'll be first on my to-do list tomorrow morning."

A pair of squeaky groans echoed through the kitchen causing another round of laughter at the twins expense as Bill closed the door and apparated away from the Burrow.

* * *

Bill appeared in the back yard of Harry's house and walked up to the back door where he knocked loudly. A moment later the door was opened to reveal Harry's aunt Petunia on the other side. 

"Yes?" she asked doing her best to hide her distaste of everyone and everything magical.

"Hi. I'm here to see Harry."

Petunia nodded and stepped to one side to let Bill in. "He's upstairs."

"Thanks," he said before crossing the threshold and heading towards the room in question. Reaching the top of the stairs, he walked down the short hall to the room he knew was Harry's and knocked on the door.

* * *

Tonks and Jake had just finished cleaning up the mess from their evening meal when Tonks felt the wards trigger and knew Bill had arrived. "He's here." 

Jake nodded. "Time for Honks?" he asked.

Tonks rolled her eyes in show but smiled internally at the name. Morphing into Harry, she quickly began to change her clothes. She was just finishing up when there was a knock on the door.

"Come in Bill," Tonks yelled.

"Heya Harry!" Bill said brightly as he opened the door and entered.

"Hey Bill."

"Jake," Bill added with a wave to the other man. Looking around he noticed someone was missing. "Where's Tonks?"

"She's busy," Tonks replied a little too quickly. She was happy that Bill didn't seem to notice.

"Cool," he said entering the room where he dropped heavily onto the couch. "So what's up?"

Tonks disguised as Harry took a seat next to him and Jake sat in his usual chair before they began.

"We found where Voldy's keeping one of his Horcruxes and need your help to get to it," Jake said.

"What!" Bill said in alarm sitting up straight in his seat. "He made a Horcrux?"

Tonks sighed and shook her head. "No, he made Horcruxes as in more than one."

"Damn," Bill said as he slumped back down in his chair. "No wonder the guy's so messed up."

Jake couldn't help but smile and let out a snort at the comment. "Yeah, well this one's in the old orphanage he used to stay at when he was young and it looks like he's put some pretty good protections around it."

Bill seemed to light up at the thought. He loved his job and enjoyed a good challenge which this was sure to be. "Cool, you want to go now?"

"Bloody nuts," Tonks mumbled gaining a chuckle from Jake and a curious look from Bill.

"What?" the curse breaker said.

Tonks shook her head. "Nothing. You look beat, you sure you don't want to wait until tomorrow?"

Bill shook his head. "Naw, I'm good. You got any Pepper Up?"

Jake nodded and after accessing his potions store handed a vial to Bill.

"Thanks," Bill said after upending the abnormally long test tube. "That's a pretty cool box by the way. So, tell me what you know."

Tonks and Jake brought Bill up to speed with what they knew of the orphanage while Bill listened intently, asking several questions as the story progressed to clarify various points. Eventually he learned all they knew and the small group left for the orphanage.

* * *

"Let me go first," Bill said as he drew his wand and took the lead. 

As they approached the edge of the repelling ward, Bill stopped and began casting a long series of spells. Eventually he stopped and after looking thoughtful for a few minutes kneeled down and placed the tip of his wand on the ground at the base of the ward.

"Get ready to pass through when I nod," he said without looking back at his companions.

Mumbling a long incantation, the ward started to glow softly where Bill's wand was touching it. As it began to glow brighter, Bill lifted his wand from the ground and the ward seemed to bend, lifting with the wand. When it was a few feet off the ground, Bill stopped chanting and nodded to the pair who quickly ducked underneath to appear on the other side. Once they were both through, Bill passed through himself before lowering the ward back to the ground and removing his wand.

"What was that?" Tonks asked. "Why didn't we just walk through like we did last time?"

Bill smiled. "How did you know I was outside your door earlier Harry?"

Tonks looked back with realization appearing on the face she wore. "A notification ward?"

Bill nodded. "It was very subtle, but it was there. We see this done a lot in the ancient tombs. Enchantments on traps take a lot of magic to maintain and wear off after awhile so what they do is set a ward to activate the enchantments when someone crosses a boundary."

"Cool, then by not tripping the ward it should save us the trouble of having to deal with a lot of the traps."

"Normally yes, but you already tripped it a couple days ago so it might not help in this case."

"Sorry," Tonks said humbly.

"No worries, at least it'll be more interesting this way," Bill said with a grin before heading towards the front door of the large building. "Stay behind me and don't touch anything unless I tell you to."

Receiving nods from both Tonks and Jake, Bill continued forward. Approaching the front door, Bill found no sign of anything amiss just as Jake had suspected on their earlier visit. The door was still open from their previous visit and the group stepped inside.

"What the hell?" Jake said as he scanned the floor of the entry hall finding nothing wrong.

With a few more waves of his wand, Bill started chuckling. "Nice one," he said before pointing his wand back at the center of the tile floor. "Finite Incantatem!"

With his spell complete, a large section of the floor disappeared. Far from being caused by rotten wood as Tonks and Jake had previously suspected, the hole had clearly been placed there on purpose. Stepping up to its edge, Bill waved Tonks and Jake forward.

"Harry, light it up will ya?"

Pointing her wand in the hole, Tonks created a beam of light bringing the debris littered room into view.

Aiming his wand at the debris on the floor, Bill once again cast the spell to cancel the illusion and watched as what appeared to be the remains of a rotten floor changed into an array of dangerous looking spears ready to impale anyone who might fall into their midst.

"Damn," Jake said in a low voice. "That would have tickled a bit."

Bill laughed. "You could say that. Good thing Harry has such quick reflexes."

Moving around to the door on the back side of the staircase Bill began examining the knob. After another round of spells he reached forward and threw the door open.

"Nothing," he told his companions.

"What?" Tonks said. "That thing shocked the hell out of me last time."

"Yeah well that could be good or bad. Either the curse was basically benign and meant to scare you off, or the curses on this place change. Either way we'll have to be especially careful from here on out."

Taking a deep breath, Bill started down the stone stairway with Tonks and Jake following close behind. At the bottom of the stairs they found themselves in a hallway that appeared to run the length of the building in either direction. Ahead of them was a door they suspected led to the room with the spears and another passage led off past where the stairs had come down.

"What do you think Jake?" Bill asked as he used his lit wand to survey the possible routes.

Jake looked around curiously, opening himself up to the magic despite his not wanting to do anything of the sort. "That way," he finally said indicating the hallway to the left.

Once again taking the lead, Bill had Tonks light the way while he cast spells to detect any magic or traps that might be in place. After a long careful walk, Jake stopped the group.

"There's something not right up ahead. It feels kind of like the entrance into Diagon Alley from the Leaky Cauldron."

Bill nodded and slowly continued forward finally coming to a stop in front of a non-descript section of wall. "It's here."

After almost twenty minutes of spell work, Bill let out a frustrated growl. "Damnit! I can't find the key."

"So what do we do?" Tonks asked.

"We blast it," was the unexpected response from Bill.

Bill cast several charms on the hallway and ceiling to reinforce the area around them before stepping back to one side of the magical doorway with Tonks and Jake. "Give me a shield Harry. Something that'll stop both magical and physical attacks."

Tonks cast her strongest shield and held it in place while Bill raised his wand and sent a strong blasting hex at the wall where the door was located. A shower of concrete and brick exploded though the hallway and against the shield as the spell impacted the wall. When the dust finally cleared the group found the explosion had left a large hole in the wall.

Stepping forward, Bill undid a few remaining enchantments before crawling through the hole into a tunnel that more closely resembled what you would find in a cave system than a school. It appeared to have been bored out of the solid bedrock the Orphanage had been built upon and led downward to unknown depths.

"We still good Jake?" Bill asked as Jake crawled through the entrance to the tunnel.

"Yeah, it's down there somewhere."

The group continued on and Bill had to undo several nasty curses as they made their way downward. Eventually the tunnel leveled out finally coming to a dead end.

"Now what?" Tonks asked.

"There's magic here," Jake informed the group.

A few minutes later Bill started shaking his head. "Clever." he said before stashing his wand in its holster and exploring the sides of the tunnel for hand holds. A minute later he had climbed to the top of the tunnel and with a last grin at Tonks and Jake stuck his head through the ceiling. His hands disappeared next to be followed by the rest of him a moment later.

Tonks and Jake stared at each other not knowing what to do when Bill's head appeared sticking straight down out of the ceiling. "Well, you coming?" he asked before disappearing again.

Jake gestured Tonks forward and gave her a hand up before following along himself. Crawling up through the ceiling, Jake found Tonks and Bill waiting for him in a large square room. The walls appeared to have been carved from the rock and there were no apparent entrances or exits other than the one they had entered through. As Bill moved away from the entrance, the room gave a mighty lurch and the three found themselves standing in a densely wooded area.

Tonks looked flabbergasted and Jake seemed concerned but Bill was obviously in his element looking as if the unexpected transport was just another puzzle to be solved.

"You seen this one before Bill?" Tonks asked.

Bill shook his head. "Nope, this is new. We still on track Jake?"

"Yeah, we're getting close."

"I think we're still in the room or maybe another one close to it. What would you think and do right now if you didn't know that Harry?" Bill said as he drew his wand and began casting spells.

"I'd think we were just transported away from the Orphanage and probably leave," Tonks said as she continued to look around warily.

"Exactly. At first glance there doesn't appear to be anything preventing leaving. No anti-apparition or portkey wards, but it looks like if you try you'll end up reappearing not far from here, probably in solid rock."

"Damn," Tonks said. "That'd suck."

Jake let out a chuckle. "Yeah, would defiantly ruin your weekend."

After casting several spells on one of the trees, Bill closed his eyes and held out his hands before continuing to walk in the direction he had been before the room had changed. Tonks and Jake watched in surprise as Bill passed through one of the many trees around them and kept walking as if wasn't even there. Curios as to what he was doing, Tonks reached out to touch a tree but instead of her hand passing though it as she had expected, she felt the solid bark under her fingers.

"What the hell?" she said looking at Jake with a surprised expression on her face.

"Beat's me," Jake said with a shrug of his shoulders. "There's so much magic in here I can't tell what's real and what's not."

"None of it is," they heard Bill say from somewhere across the room though neither Tonks nor Jake could see him.

"What do you mean? And how come you can't feel them and I can?" Tonks asked.

"Close your eyes and try it again," Bill said. Tonks and Jake both noticed he was not in the same place he had been before. "Just don't open your eyes while your hand is still in the tree."

"I think I'll just take your word for it," Tonks replied deciding that discretion was the better part of valor in this case.

"Probably for the best," she heard Bill reply once again noticing he was in a different location. It occurred to her he was working his way around the edge of the room.

A few minutes later Tonks and Jake felt a tingle pass through the room and the trees seemed to waver for a few seconds before they disappeared completely. Looking around they found an excited Weasley heading towards them.

"That was really cool! I can't wait to tell the guys at work about this one!"

"Bloody nuts," Tonks said shaking her head. "So what's with all the illusions? I expected pain and death not trees and hidden doorways."

Bill's smile fell away as he began. "Actually it has been pain and death, well death anyway. All of his illusions in addition to hiding his Horcrux have all been designed to kill whoever wanders into them. The entry floor had spikes below, the hidden door was cursed and of course this beauty," he said waving his hand around.

"Come on," Bill said after giving Tonks a minute to think about what they had been through so far. "A part of the back wall isn't the original stone."

Leading the pair to the back of the chamber, Bill pointed out a small section of slightly discolored stone. Using a special charm, he carefully cut around the edge of the discoloration before levitating out a one foot square block. As the stone pulled free from the wall a swarm of what looked like brightly red colored humming birds shot out of the hole.

"Immobulus!" Bill yelled. "Don't touch them!"

"What are they?" Jake asked stepping forward for a better look. As he examined the creatures he found that their red coloring was because they were entirely made up of flame.

"Immobulus!" Bill repeated temporarily ignoring Jakes question. "Harry, cast the spell every thirty seconds or so."

Tonks nodded and repeated the spell herself as she began following his instructions.

"I don't know what they're actually called but I have run into them a few times. We call em fireflies at work. Frickin things'll burn through damn near anything. Normally we trap them inside a crystalline structure but I don't have what we need to do that. We'll just have to keep them immobile until we leave."

"Immobulus!" Tonks said as she continued to cast her spells. Though she was carefully listening to Bill's explanation she didn't dare stop what she was doing to ask the questions that kept popping into her head.

Turning back towards the hole in the wall Bill began examining it closely. Just beyond where he had removed the stone was a small chamber that held a golden goblet. "Hufflepuff," Bill said quietly before waving Jake over.

"I'm guessing this is it?"

Jake took one look at the cup and nodded in the affirmative. "Yeah, that's bad stuff."

Bill turned back towards the cup. "The question is how do we get it out of there?"

"Immobulus!" Tonks incanted. "Why don't we leave it there and just destroy it?"

"You know how to destroy a Horcrux?"

Tonks smiled. "Yeah, Harry figured it out," she said happily. "Immobulus!"

Bill caught the slip and noticed a look of apprehension briefly flash across Jakes features. "What did Harry figure out Tonks?"

"He destroyed it with a Basilisk fang. Dumbledore has been using Basilisk venom to destroy them. We've got some in the potions kit."

Jake let out a groan and closed his eyes. Seeing the look on his face, Tonks realized what she had just done.

"What's going on?" Bill said looking back and forth between Jake and Harry who he now knew was actually Tonks.

"Immobulus!" Tonks said repeating the spell again before returning her face to its natural form. She was about to explain when Jake interrupted.

"Now's not the time for this," he said. Pulling out a potions kit, Jake rapped on its side. "Basilisk Venom." A small vial slid out of the kit and Jake handed it to Bill.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" Bill said with a swish and flick of his wand after he removed the cork from one end. Very carefully, Bill levitated the vial of poison into the hole and tipped it into the cup.

A loud hiss escaped from within the cup as the poison fell in. A moment later sparks began erupting from the hole and a screech of pain seemed to echo through the room. After a long minute the cup let out a final burst of light and fell silent.

Bill stepped forward warily and began checking the cup but was unable to find any magic within the hole. "Jake?" he asked as he continued to look at the cup.

A smile lit up Jakes face as he concentrated on the magic in the room. "Nothing. It's gone."

Very nervously, Bill reached into the hole and picked up the cup letting out the breath he had been holding when nothing happened.

Caught up in the moment Tonks had forgotten to cast the charm but realized her mistake as Jake let out a hiss of pain. Before she or Bill could cast the charm again the entire room began to shake. It was just a little at first but quickly became more violent until chunks of rock began falling from the ceiling as the room began to collapse.

"Evac Jake!" Tonks yelled causing his emergency portkey to activate as she dived past the swarm of fireflies towards Bill.

Ripping off her necklace, Tonks pressed it against Bill's head. "Evac Tonks! Arrghh!" she yelled as the portkey failed to activate and one of the fireflies burned the back of her leg.

A moment later the room caved in.

* * *

Jake appeared in Harry's room at Privet Drive and began frantically looking around for Tonks and Bill. As he scanned the room he noticed Tonks emergency portkey lying on the nightstand next to her bed. 

"Oh god no," Jake said out loud to the empty room.

Grabbing hold of the portkey around his neck he said a quick silent prayer hoping beyond hope this would work and that Bill wouldn't be left behind.

"Evac Harry!"

His mind raced in several directions as the words left his mouth. For most of his life he'd had to make decisions that decided whether his teammates would live or die but for the first time he could remember he wasn't sure of his choice.

It seemed like hours were slowly ticking by and he began to feel an overwhelming sense of dread. This was his life, his family. He had already lost one whom he had come to think of as a sort of son, he couldn't bear the thought of losing his sister as well.

Just as he thought he couldn't take any more, he felt the magic in the room begin to thicken and a battered and bruised Tonks and Bill appeared in the middle of the room.

Jake took a deep breath and let his head roll back so that he was looking upward. "Thank you," he said softly.

Returning his attention to the pair on the floor before him, he quickly kneeled down. "You two ok?"

Bill looked up wearing a large grin. "That was intense!"

"Bloody nuts," Tonks said shaking her head and breathing heavily as she lay on the ground with no intention of ever getting up again.

Shaking his head and giving the pair a small smile, Jake grabbed a potions store and they began fixing their wounds.

* * *

"So what the hell is going on?" Bill finally asked as they sat down in the living area. "Where's Harry?" 

As Bill looked back and forth between the pair, he saw Tonks get a far away look in her eyes and tears began leaking down her face. A minute later she fled the room.

"Jake?" Bill asked now worried about what he was about to hear.

Jake took a deep breath and closed his eyes before letting it out slowly. "He was killed in a Death Eater attack."

A look of horror appeared on Bill's face and he could feel his heart clench in his chest. "No, no, it's not possible… no."

Fighting to keep the grief out of his voice, Jake told Bill the story as he knew it.

"I want to help end this all. Maybe I should move in here and help you fight?" Bill finally said after a long silence following Jake's story.

Jake shook his head. "No, you need to stay with your sister and be our man in Hogwarts."

"I can help you Jake. I'm good in a fight and have no problems with killing the bastards who did this to Harry, to Ginny. You're down to two. You can't tell me you don't need me."

Jake let out a loud sigh and rubbed his eyes. It had been a long night and he hadn't figured on having this conversation with Bill. "Yes, we need you. But there's more to fighting a war than running around in the front lines. Right now we need you in Hogwarts and we both know Harry would want us to make sure Ginny is protected."

Bill found himself unable to disagree with Jakes words. He had felt a connection form with Harry the night he'd sworn his oath joining the group and he knew what Jake had said was true.

"Alright," Bill finally agreed though he wasn't sure it was the right course of action. "I'll do what I can at Hogwarts. I've already spoken with Dumbledore a little bit and I don't think I'll have any trouble getting the job."

"Thanks Bill."

"Tonks seems to be taking this pretty hard," Bill observed.

Jake nodded. "Yeah, they were getting really close. I think they had something really special."

The pair sat in silence for a long while before Bill finally stood, the Order mission and the evening's events finally catching up with him. "I'm wrecked, think I'll go home and catch some Z's."

"Fair enough. Thanks for everything and make sure you don't say anything about Harry to anyone."

Understanding the reasons behind the need for secrecy, Bill gave Jake a final nod and apparated away from Privet Drive.

* * *

Tonks fled the room unable to bear it as the conversation turned to Harry's death. After leaving her room, she ran down the stairs and out the back door. Taking a seat on a garden bench, Tonks pulled her knees up against her chest and looked up at the night sky with tears rolling down her cheeks. 

"I miss you so much Harry," she sobbed as she looked up. Spotting the Dog Star, Sirius, she took a deep breath and prayed for her words to be heard. "Take care of him Sirius."

* * *

The next week passed fairly quickly. There were no further Death Eater attacks and while they were glad, Tonks and Jake were also worried that this meant they were making preparations for their planned attack on Diagon Alley. 

Tonks did her best to keep busy by working out or practicing her magic. The pain of her loss didn't seem any less than it had been the night it happened and she was beginning to wonder if it would ever get better. It certainly didn't feel like it would.

Jake spent a fair amount of time thinking about Harry as well. He missed the kid dearly and even though he had extensive experience dealing with loss, he had never felt it so acutely before.

As the week went on, he refined their plans for defending Diagon Alley. He constantly debated as to whether or not he should get the help of the Order or Aurors but in the end decided he and Tonks were basically wanted criminals and he knew they would show up eventually anyway. They only had to hold out until they did.

As the day of the attack arrived there was a nervous energy at Privet Drive. Tonks and Jake woke earlier than usual, thoughts of the day ahead preventing them from sleeping further. After getting dressed for the day and throwing down a quick breakfast, Jake checked the clock and turned towards Tonks.

"It's time."


	12. Diagon Alley

**Chapter 12 – Diagon Alley**

It was a beautiful sunny day in London and all up and down Diagon Alley shoppers could be found going happily about their business.

Two figures dressed in plain navy blue robes with their hoods raised entered the alleyway through the magical entrance by the Leaky Cauldron. They casually made their way through the crowds finally ducking into a small alley between two shops not far from where they entered the main alley.

"I'll check it out," Jake said as he continued down the passage between the two shops.

Tonks nodded and cast a quick notice-me-not charm on the entrance.

Less than a minute passed before Jake returned. "All clear."

With the alley empty and the shoppers paying the area no mind, Tonks went to work casting a series of spells and wards on the entrance. First she cast a much stronger notice-me-not ward and removed the charm. She then added some shielding followed by anti-apparition and portkey wards which she set to cover the entire alley between the two buildings and keyed herself and Jake into.

Reaching into her cloak, Tonks pulled out a necklace that had a small green crystal hanging on the end. Moving to a position a few meters inside the now protected space, she touched the crystal with the tip of her wand.

"Portus Suggero Asylum 'Position One'."

There was a quick pulse of light which surrounded Tonks briefly before being absorbed by the crystal. Turning towards Jake, she touched the tip of her wand to a similar crystal he was wearing around his neck and repeated the process.

After watching the light be absorbed into his necklace, Jake looked at Tonks. "You're sure these will still work with all the different wards up and magic being thrown around?"

Tonks just crossed her arms and gave him a withering glare.

Jake took a step back and held up his hands. "Alright, alright, I just wanted to be sure."

Letting out a sigh of frustration, Tonks raised her hood and led the way back to the main thoroughfare of Diagon Alley. Continuing to work their way down the full length of the street, they setup several more positions, adding each one to their voice activated portkeys.

After setting up all of their positions, they returned to one in the middle of the alley. Walking roughly half way into the narrow space, Tonks began casting another series of spells causing a wall to appear making it look as though the alley was only half as deep as it really was. Once again she keyed herself and Jake into the new wards and after sending a quick grin at her partner, Tonks stepped through the wall.

A moment later Jake appeared next to her. And watched as she cast several additional wards making the area a virtual fortress. Just as she had done several times that morning, Tonks added the destinations and command words to their necklace portkeys adding a special link between the necklaces for this destination.

Moving to the back of the enclosed space she cast another series of spells splitting off yet another section and finally finishing by adding a nullification field that would prevent any magic from being performed within the area. Concentrating on a spot just above the nullification field she removed two small blue stones from within her robes.

"Portus! Portus!"

Returning to Jake's side, she handed him one of the stones which he quickly pocketed.

"That's the last, we're all set."

Jake nodded and looked closely at his companion who he noticed was breathing heavily, clearly exhausted from the amount of magic she had been performing all morning. With the upcoming battle drawing ever closer, he knew she needed to be one hundred percent. Reaching in his robes he removed a small vial of liquid which he uncorked before passing it to her.

"Here, it's a simple restorative."

After taking a quick look at the vial she looked back to Jake. "It's not something from our potions kit?"

"Nope, this is better," Jake said urging her to drink it.

"Thanks," Tonks replied before quickly downing the potion. A sharp burning sensation followed the potions progress through her system and she found herself bent over coughing violently for a long minute with her arms wrapped around her mid section. Each cough was accompanied by a large puff of red smoke.

When the effects finally passed she stood upright and glared at Jake who was doing his best to keep from laughing.

"Simple!" she growled out.

"Umm, Ooops?" he said, barely able to restrain his laughter.

Tonks let out a string of curses that caused Jake's pent up laughter to escape. If it hadn't been for the years he had spent in the military he would surely have blushed bright red at her exclamations and colorful description of his heritage.

Finally getting his laughter under control, Jake found Tonks still glaring at him with her arms crossed. Letting out a final snort he held his hands up in supplication.

"Easy now, don't you feel better?"

Working past her anger Tonks realized she did in fact feel much better. All of her tiredness was gone and she could almost feel her magic being restored.

"I suppose so, still you always do that to me and it isn't funny you bloody git!"

Another chuckle escaped Jakes lips. "Sure it was, at least from my end."

Leaning quickly to his right he was just able to get out of the path of a jet of red light that was headed his way.

"Come on Tonks, save it for later."

"Where did you even get something like that?" Tonks asked but continued before he could answer. "Actually, never mind. I probably don't want to know."

After another short laugh, he looked at his watch noting the time. "It's almost noon. That gives us about three hours before they arrive. We should get some lunch while we still can."

Tonks nodded and the pair headed towards the main alley. They were just about there when Tonks let out a final cough accompanied by bit of red smoke that formed a ring in the air. Jake couldn't help himself and broke down into laughter once again.

* * *

The pair ate a quick lunch at the Leaky Cauldron before making their way back towards the entrance to Diagon Alley. The entrance was closed when they arrived and luckily no one was about. 

"Position One," Tonks said activating her portkey. There was a familiar tug behind the naval and the sensation of being pulled through space before she appeared in the first safe area they had set up that morning. A moment later Jake appeared next to her. Walking towards the main alley they stopped just short of the wards remaining hidden on their side so they could observe the growing crowds unseen.

"You ready for this Tonks?" Jake asked as he watched the oblivious shoppers go about their business. "This is a lot bigger than anything we've pulled off so far."

It was a long while before Tonks answered. "Yeah, I'm ready. We can do this." There was another pause before she added softly, "Harry can do anything."

Jake broke his gaze from the crowd before him and looked at Tonks to find she had already taken on the guise of Harry Potter and the boys emerald eyes were staring back at him with a look of resolve and purpose. Reaching forward with his right hand he took hold of her arm at the wrist as she did the same to him.

"There will probably be twenty or thirty but there could be more," Jake said never breaking eye contact. "Not to mention that Tom's planning on showing up."

"Harry can do anything," Tonks repeated with confidence.

Their eyes remained locked for a long while taking in each others resolve.

"We fight as long as we remain in control of the situation, then we leave."

Tonks nodded. "Live to fight another day."

Breaking their clasped hands apart, their gazes returned to the shoppers.

Hearing Jake speaking softly, Tonks turned to look at her friend, watching his profile as he spoke.

"A desperate fight for what's right against overwhelming odds," he said softly before turning to see Tonks looking back at him. A devilish grin crept onto his face. "I like it."

Tonks grin mirrored his as she turned to face Diagon Alley.

* * *

It was nearing three o'clock, the time of the planned attack, when Jake let out a curse getting Tonks attention. 

"What is it?" she said desperately scanning the alley to find what had him so upset.

"The people. There are too many people here. A lot of innocents are going to get hurt. We need to get rid of these people somehow before they show up."

Tonks silently cursed herself for not thinking of that. Thinking furiously for several long minutes as she looked up and down the alley she had a thought.

"I might have an idea but it will cause a panic. People could still be hurt if there's a mad rush to escape the alley."

"Better than what'll happen if the Death Eaters arrive and their all still here." Jake replied.

After hearing her plan, Jake made some suggestions that would help get rid of the Aurors that were stationed around the alley as well and looked at his watch.

"It's fifteen too three, lets wait another five minutes."

Tonks nodded and took a deep breath, it was almost time.

"Good luck," Tonks said.

"Same," was the simple reply.

Taking another deep breath Tonks knew it was time to get into position. "Roof One," she said activating her portkey. A moment later she appeared on a rooftop directly opposite Jakes position. Having keyed both of them into all the wards they had cast, they could see each other perfectly. A few minutes later Jake made a gesture with his hand letting her know it was time to begin.

Drawing her wand, Tonks pointed it to the center of the alley and cast a series of spells.

* * *

Kingsley Shacklebolt was taking his turn on guard duty in Diagon Alley. He was wandering past Madam Maulkins Robes for all Occasions when he heard the distinctive cracks of apparition and screams from somewhere near the center of the busy shopping district. 

Running towards the disturbance in the opposite direction the panicking crowd was going, he found a small number of Death Eaters standing in a loose group, casually throwing curses about. Turning to his partner he quickly spoke as he drew his wand.

"Alert the Aurors and get a message to Dumbledore. Diagon Alley is under attack by Death Eaters."

Giving a quick nod, the Auror apparated away.

Turning back to the Death Eaters, Kingsley noticed the alley was almost empty of people and the few left were quickly disappearing. 'Odd that the Death Eaters didn't cast any wards to keep people from leaving,' he thought. Looking around he noticed there didn't appear to be any damage or casualties to speak of either. Pushing his thoughts aside for the moment, he joined the group of Aurors who where carefully surrounding the Death Eaters while avoiding the jets of red and green magical light that issued from their wands.

Seeming to notice their situation, the group of Death Eaters leapt into motion running towards Knockturn Alley while continuing to cast spells all about. The Aurors quickly followed, chasing their prey down the shadowy and winding ways of the famed dark arts district.

* * *

Tonks let out a sigh of relief as she looked down upon the now deserted alley below her. She had seen a few people hurt during the panic, but was heartened by the thought that they only appeared to be minor injuries. 

Looking towards Jake, she saw him motion to her and knew the Death Eaters would be arriving any time now. Almost as if she had summoned them with her thoughts, the sound of wizards Apparating began echoing through the alleyway indicating the arrival of the dreaded forces.

Crack after crack echoed through the air as Tonks and Jake continued to watch the Death Eaters arrive. By the time they stopped appearing, they had counted the sound of around fifty Death Eaters apparating all up and down the alley. Quite a few more than they had figured on.

A small group of the masked figures began casting anti-apparition and portkey wards over the alley while the rest looked around in confusion. Taking her cue, Tonks began adding her own magic to the wards they were casting ensuring the Death Eaters would be trapped inside the wards as well.

As the wards were finished, Tonks turned her attention to the alley below noticing a few of the Death Eaters were beginning to get over their confusion enough to start casting spells at the various shops. Stepping up to the edge of the roof, she pulled a second wand from within her robes and began casting a storm of lethal curses down upon the heads of the Death Eaters.

"Explodra! Diffindo! Incendio! Sectumsempra!"

From her concealed position above the Death Eaters, she managed to kill and injure a good deal of their number before they figured out where she was and began returning fire. Stepping back from the edge, she quickly shouted. "Roof two!"

Appearing on another rooftop further down the street she continued hurling her spells until she was once again spotted and forced to retreat. "Position Seven!" Disappearing once again, she continued popping around the alley delivering pain and death from every direction.

Jake watched from his hiding place in the first alley they had warded as the Death Eaters began to arrive. He counted the number of cracks he was able to hear and began to get nervous as the number passed twenty. A minute later he was happy the appearances had stopped but definitely concerned that the number of Death Eaters was almost twice what they had planned on.

Keeping a careful eye out for the enemy, he watched Tonks cast additional magic into the wards the Death Eaters were putting up. As soon as she finished, he saw her step to the edge of the roof and take a quick look up and down the alley before she began to rein death down upon the masked cowards.

"No guts, no glory," he said softly to no one as he stepped into the alley with a knife in each hand.

Slipping up behind a pair of Death Eaters who were standing near his position looking for the person casting the spells at them he launched himself into action. The nearest one died with a knife in his side never knowing Jake existed. The second man got the merest glance at his assailant before he followed his companion.

"Position Four!" Jake called out after dispatching the two Death Eaters.

* * *

Auror Franklin appeared at the apparition point in the Ministry of Magic after leaving Kingsley Shacklebolt in Diagon Alley. Running across the atrium, Franklin bypassed a line of waiting people and pushed an old man out of the way before speaking with the guard. 

"Sound the alarm! Diagon Alley is under attack!" Franklin said with a sense of urgency. He was surprised when the old man he pushed out of the way took hold of his arm. Looking up he realized it was Albus Dumbledore.

"Sorry sir, didn't know it was you," he said blushing slightly.

Dumbledore waved aside his apologies. "What do you know of the attack at Diagon Alley?"

"A large group of Death Eaters were in the Alley throwing spells around when me and Kingsley saw them. Kingsley sent me to alert you and the Aurors."

Hearing all he needed to know, Dumbledore held up his hand. "Fawkes!"

A moment later a flash of fire appeared above his outstretched fingers and the red and gold phoenix appeared. Taking hold of his tail feathers, Dumbledore was lifted into the air several meters before the pair disappeared in another flash of flame.

* * *

Appearing in yet another small alleyway, Jake found himself looking at two Death Eaters who seemed to be staring back at him in confusion. He immediately went on alert but quickly realized that though they seemed to be able to sense something was wrong, they were unable to see through the wards Tonks had cast to figure out what it was. 

"Hey Nott, wasn't there an alley between these two stores?" an unknown Death Eater said.

Nott senior's eyes narrowed as he looked around. "Yes, there was."

Listening to their conversation, Jake realized he had come across a target of opportunity. Getting a running start, he leapt from the alleyway launching a hard kick into Nott's face sending him to the ground unconscious as his wand skittered away across the cobblestone street. The other Death Eater raised his wand towards Jake and received a knife in the chest for his trouble.

Seeing a few other Death Eaters who had apparently noticed the scuffle approaching, Jake quickly withdrew the small stone Tonks had given him from his pocket and threw it at Nott. As the stone hit the fallen Death Eater, he disappeared.

"Position Two!" he quickly said, disappearing just as several curses flew through the spot he had occupied a moment before.

* * *

The unconscious body of Nott appeared in the air just above the holding cell Tonks had set up in their secure area. After materializing completely, he fell into the cell breaking his left leg, arm and receiving a rather nasty bump on his head as he landed. 

The impact woke him up and he was once again very confused as he looked around.

"What the hell?" he said examining the unfamiliar surroundings.

A yell escaped his mouth as he tried to sit up, discovering the broken bones he had received in the process. Pushing away the pain, he reached down with his good hand and removed a spare wand from within his boot. He then tried to cast a spell on his leg to bind the broken bone in place.

As spell after spell failed to do anything he became increasingly frustrated and worried.

* * *

Appearing in the kitchen at Grimmauld place, Dumbledore was lowered to the ground before Fawkes took a perch on his shoulder. Looking around he found Minerva, Alastor and several other Order members present. 

"Diagon Alley is under attack by Death Eaters. I want everyone here to go with me to the Leaky Cauldron."

"Minerva," he said turning to his long time friend, "summon the rest of the Order and meet us there as soon as possible."

Nodding to the leader of the light, Minerva left the kitchen to gather who she could.

As the Order members began to apparate away, Dumbledore turned to Fawkes to see the Phoenix had a far away look in its eye. "Fawkes? We need to go."

Rising from his perch on Dumbledore's shoulder, Fawkes disappeared in a burst of flame. Dumbledore lowered his hand from above his head where he had been intent on grasping Fawkes tail feathers and shook his head at the mystery that was his Phoenix. It seemed that the bird's odd behavior was continuing and he didn't know what to think or do about it.

Knowing this was not the time to think on such things, Dumbledore immediately drew his wand and Apparated to the Leaky Cauldron.

* * *

Jake appeared in a new position not far from Gringotts Wizarding Bank and stopped to assess the situation. The tactics they were using had been very effective so far. It looked like they had managed to eliminate about half of the Death Eaters and the rest were getting more and more disorganized as panic began to set in. 

As he looked around, he saw a wizard he wasn't sure if he wanted to see or not. Anger coursed through him as he thought of all the innocent lives ruined and lost by this monsters hand. Lives that included a boy he had come to care very much for and his friend Tonks had come to love.

He watched briefly as Voldemort raised his wand towards a position across the alley from him and cast a couple of spells. He felt the magic within the wards dissipate and knew their tactics had been discovered by the leader of the enemy.

Deciding to take the opportunity while he still had the element of surprise he left his hiding place and charged Voldemort as he was turning around yelling orders at his troops.

* * *

Voldemort looked around in disgust. His Death Eaters should have eliminated the threat by now but instead they were running around disorganized and panicked. 

"You!" he yelled indicating the small group of Death Eaters that had cast the wards. "We have been ambushed. Bring down the wards now!"

The group of masked men immediately set to work on the wards under the watchful eye of their master. 'I've been betrayed,' Voldemort thought to himself as he began organizing his men, 'And when I discover who it was, they will pay dearly for their treachery.'

As he continued to yell at the Death Eaters he felt a piercing pain in his side. "Arghhh!" he yelled as he spun around.

Jake pulled the knife out of the Dark Lord's side and spun it around in his hand. As Voldemort turned around, Jake kicked the wand from his grasp and punched him in the face with the finger guard of the knife he held.

The Dark Lord staggered back and fell as his wand clattered away across the alley. His side was screaming in pain as was his face. Seeing the man who attacked him moving forward with his knife in hand, Voldemort threw forward his hands banishing the man away from him where he hit the wall hard.

Summoning his wand he stood and stalked towards his attacker who was lying unconscious next to the wall he had hit. Raising his wand he said the curse to end the man's life.

"Avada Kedavra!" he yelled.

Voldemort watched in morbid fascination as the jet of sickly green light sped toward his assailant. His glee changed to a raging anger as the man disappeared and his spell impacted the now empty space where the man had been.

"Lose something Tom?"

"Harry Potter," the Dark Lord hissed in anger as he spun around to find his nemesis standing before him with a wand in each hand.

* * *

Tonks continued to portkey around from place to place eliminating Death Eater after Death Eater. The number of enemy was continuing to decline but there were still too many for comfort. 

As she appeared at a new location near the Leaky Cauldron, she saw the wall open and Order members began running into the Alley. Seeing they had the numbers to get everything under control at this end, Tonks moved to a location at the other end of the Alley near Gringotts.

Scanning the area around the wizarding bank, Tonks let out a gasp as she found Jake fighting the Dark Lord. Seeing the remaining Death Eaters either working on dismantling the wards or running to battle with Dumbledore's Order, Tonks stepped out of her hiding space to help her friend.

She had only taken a few steps when she saw Jake thrown hard against a wall which he slid down before lying still. Her breath hitched for a moment thinking she had lost another one of her companions when she saw him take a shuddering breath. He was still alive.

Seeing Voldemort walking towards him she grabbed her necklace.

"Evac Jake!" she said quickly and watched as he disappeared much to the chagrin of Voldemort.

"Loose something Tom?" she couldn't help but gloat.

"Harry Potter," the Dark Lord hissed in anger as he spun around to find his nemesis standing before him with a wand in each hand.

Tonks was surprised when he began to laugh.

"You think you can challenge me Potter?"

Evil power rolled off him in waves and Tonks was having a hard time not shaking as she stood face to face with the Dark Lord himself. While she had heard many stories about him, the sight of his twisted being was far more gruesome and intimidating than she imagined it would be. Reaching deep within herself, she pushed all her fear aside and let the anger from her loss take over as she prepared to duel him. She was here, she would do this, for Harry.

"That's right. I've beaten you before, I'll do it again."

Voldemort's cackling sent shivers down her spine. "You were no match for me a month ago, what makes you think you stand a chance now?"

Tonks decided the time for talking was over. She knew Voldemort would only talk until he felt the time was right to strike, so she decided to beat him to the punch. Taking a deep breath, she began casting spells as fast as she could.

* * *

The battle was going far easier than Dumbledore had expected it to. When the Order entered the Alley, they found the Death Eaters running around in disarray. Even with the small number of people he had brought with him, they were quickly able to take control of the entrance. 

A few minutes later Minerva arrived with Order reinforcements as well as a number of Aurors and Dumbledore was able to push deeper into Diagon Alley.

As he finished stunning and binding another Death Eater, Dumbledore looked down the street finding a sight that brought his worry to new heights. "Harry!"

"Alastor, Remus," he said in a commanding voice instantly gaining their full attention, "you're with me. We need to get to Harry!"

Looking in the direction he was pointing, the pair saw Harry Potter engaged in a vicious battle with the Dark Lord Voldemort. Moving quickly so as not to be left behind, Alastor and Remus took positions beside and slightly behind Dumbledore as they began fighting their way towards Harry.

* * *

Voldemort growled in pain and anger as Harry managed to land a cutting curse on his chest opening a deep wound that bled freely. Sidestepping his next volley, the Dark Lord cast a most lethal curse at his enemy. 

"Avada Kedavra!"

Tonks dove to the side, summoning a bench from behind Voldemort as she went down. A moment later the Dark Lords wand was pointed at her prone figure when the bench impacted the back of his legs sending him to the ground. Jumping up from where she was lying, Tonks sent a quick blasting hex only to have him bat it away as he regained his own footing.

"I'm impressed Harry," Voldemort said as continued to swat away Tonks curses. He had been surprised by Harry's new found power and abilities and while he was impressed, he was no longer underestimating him. "I find myself curious as to how you have improved so much in such a short time."

Tonks didn't answer, instead continuing to throw curses at Voldemort. Unfortunately the tide of the fight seemed to have turned against her and she was slowly being backed up. She saw Voldemort's aura building up but was too late to get out of the way as a burst of magic threw her against a nearby building.

"Crucio!" Voldemort hissed as he pointed his wand at Harry's prone form.

A scream echoed through the Alley as the dark pain curse hit Tonks in her chest. Pain beyond pain filled her being until the Dark Lord eventually ended the curse and began to cackle evilly.

"It would seem your luck has finally run out Potter."

Tonks was having trouble concentrating thought the pain she was in and thoughts of Harry bounced around in her head as she looked up to find the Dark Lord standing several meters away with his wand pointed straight at her heart. She knew she should be scared but a smile found its way onto her face and a chuckle escaped her throat at the thought that she would see Harry soon.

Voldemort couldn't help but be curious of Harry's reaction. "What's so funny Potter!"

Tonks laughed even harder though it hurt like hell to do so. "You," she finally managed to force out, "you never could kill Harry."

The Dark Lords eyes narrowed in anger. He couldn't believe this boy was daring to laugh at him. "Something I am about to correct," he hissed.

Tonks let out another laugh as she let her morph fall away and returned her face to her normal look. "Yeah? How?" she said as she continued to laugh. She couldn't believe she was talking to the Dark Lord like this, but she no longer cared. Harry hadn't cowered in front of him and she wouldn't either.

Ever so slowly, blackness began filling the sides of her vision. She felt herself moving towards unconsciousness and knew she wouldn't survive much longer. Just before her vision faded completely, she saw a burst of flame and what she was sure was a figure with messy black hair standing above her.

* * *

Dumbledore continued to push forward as fast as he could with Moody and Kingsley close behind. They were getting close when he saw Harry thrown back against a building and the Dark Lord cast the Cruciatus curse on him. The curse was lifted several seconds later and he saw the pair conversing. Knowing the end was near he was about to cast a spell at Voldemort when a burst of flame appeared between the Dark Lord and Harry. 

For a moment he didn't know what to think or do as Fawkes appeared with Harry Potter. Taking a closer look at the figure lying on the ground, Dumbledore realized it was Nymphadora Tonks who had apparently been fighting the Dark Lord wearing the guise of Harry.

Bringing himself back to the situation at hand, he made a quick push forward more determined than ever to help Harry.

* * *

Appearing in a burst of phoenix fire, Harry found himself standing on the top of a building overlooking Diagon Alley. He smiled as he looked down upon the chaos knowing it was Tonks and Jake's doing. As he continued to scan the carnage, he saw the Dark Lord standing above Tonks with his wand pointed at her chest. 

Fear filled his heart at the sight. He couldn't loose her. He wouldn't.

"Fawkes," he said quickly, "put me between them and get Tonks out of there!"

Lifting off, Fawkes lowered his tail feathers which Harry quickly grabbed hold of. Another burst of flame flowed over the pair and they disappeared from the roof top reappearing a moment later between Tonks and the Dark Lord.

"Hi Tom," Harry said in a forced calm.

Fawkes was at Tonks side in an instant transporting her away to the safety of Privet Drive before the surprised Dark Lord could take in the situation.

Looking back and forth between Harry and the empty spot where Tonks had been lying, he realized what had just happened. "Potter," he hissed angrily. It was clear to him that the boy had planned on using his companions to wear him down before facing him himself.

He was about to confront the boy about it when the wards fell and he began hearing the cracks of his Death Eaters apparating away from the battle. Looking up the Alley he noticed Dumbledore was almost upon them.

"This isn't over Potter," he growled before Apparating away.

Harry let out a nervous breath as the Dark Lord left. Placing his wands carefully in a holster, he held up his hand.

"Fawkes!"

Fawkes appeared above him and after taking hold of the Phoenix tail feathers he was lifted off the ground and disappeared. He only just heard Dumbledore call his name before he vanished.

* * *

Bill had no idea what to think as he watched the scene at the far end of the Alley unfold. He knew that Harry was dead and Tonks was there in his form but as he'd spotted the Dark Lord standing above a no longer disguised Tonks, Harry had appeared with Fawkes. 

It was killing him to stay and continue working with the Order and Aurors as they cleaned up the Alley, but he couldn't risk his position within Harry's group. He would definitely visit Privet Drive as soon as he could safely slip away.

* * *

Harry was surprised when instead of finding himself at Privet Drive as he had expected, he arrived in a small back alleyway. Looking around, he noticed a Death Eater trapped in what felt to him like a void, a place absent of magic, and another familiar figure lying on the ground unconscious. 

"Jake!" Harry said worriedly as he knelt next to the body of his friend. As he examined the man who had inspired him to fight he noticed Jakes eyes crack open.

"Hey Honks," Jake said in somewhat of a daze, "You kick his ass?"

Harry wasn't quite sure what he was talking about but was saved from having to reply when Jake passed back out a moment later.

"What's wrong with him Fawkes?" Harry asked.

A long trill escaped Fawkes beak changing pitch several times as the bird examined Jake. 'He has many broken bones and a lot of bruising. He is in a lot of pain but he will be fine."

Harry let out a sigh of relief at the Phoenix reassuring words.

"How's Tonks?"

'She will be fine as well. At the moment she is resting peacefully.'

Harry nodded, relieved at the good news. After rummaging through Jakes robes for several minutes, Harry removed one of their potions kits.

"We need to get him back to Privet Drive," Harry said.

Fawkes bowed once before moving next to Jake and flaming him away. A moment later the phoenix returned.

Stepping up to the Death Eater he found the man awake. Knowing he wouldn't be able to use magic within the confines of the prison area, Harry stepped forward quickly and kicked Nott in the side of the head knocking him unconscious. After searching him for wands and magical artifacts, he dragged him out of the prison and cast a binding charm on him.

Rapping on the side of the small box, Harry asked for what he needed. "Veritaserum."

Kneeling down next to the bound man, Harry placed three drops of the clear liquid on his tongue before standing back up and drawing his wand.

"Ennervate!"

Nott's eyes blinked open and he looked around blearily, his eyes out of focus from a combination of pain and truth serum.

"What are the Dark Lords plans?" Harry asked.

"I do not know," Nott answered in a detached sort of way.

"What do you do for the Dark Lord?"

"I am in charge of his followers within Hogwarts."

Harry's eyes opened wide at the admission. After getting over his initial shock, Harry continued to question the Death Eater finding out everything he could about Hogwarts and what would be going on inside when school started. Eventually he found out everything he could and stepped back.

"What should I do with him Fawkes? I can't kill him like this," Harry said as he looked down at the bound and helpless man.

'Leave him here. He is succumbing to his injuries and will not last much longer.' Fawkes trilled surprising Harry.

"Are you sure?" Harry asked looking at the bird. He couldn't help but wonder if he shouldn't try and help him.

'Do not mourn him, he has made his choice.'

Nodding in understanding, Harry dragged Nott back into his cell before once again taking hold of Fawkes tail feathers and flaming away.

* * *

Appearing in his room at Privet Drive, Harry quickly moved to his bed where he found Tonks tossing and turning in a restless sleep. Reaching towards her, he lightly ran his fingers across her face, brushing some stray hair out of the way. 

She was wearing her normal form and Harry couldn't help but smile at the sight of her. As his hands continued to lightly caress the soft skin of her face she seemed to calm down falling into a much more relaxed sleep. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever laid eyes upon and he knew in his heart as he watched her sleep that he loved her.

He continued to watch her sleep for several minutes until she let out a small groan and moved slightly as she stretched her sore back. Ever so slowly her eyes began to open until she was looking up into the emerald eyes she had missed so much.

"Harry," she said softly still partially asleep.

Harry smiled warmly down at her. "Hey Tonks."

Tonks eyes seemed to fly open as she realized he was actually there with her. "Harry!"

Sitting up as quickly as she could, Tonks threw herself at Harry wrapping her arms tightly around him and burying her head in his chest. Tears of happiness flowed down her cheeks as she held the man she loved as tightly as she could.

Eventually she pulled back slightly though she stayed as close to him as she could.

"How do you feel?" Harry asked.

"I'm fine," she replied. Her entire body ached and every movement was painful but she didn't care. Right now the only thing in the world that mattered to her was that Harry was there. "I missed you," she said wiping another tear away.

Harry smiled at her words as he continued to hold her.

Tonks arms slid up his chest and lightly touched his face praying that this was real, that she wouldn't wake up from this wonderful dream she was having. "I love you so much Harry. I'm sorry… I tried to get you out of there… I swear I tried… I didn't mean for you to die… I love you…"

Tears flowed freely down Tonks face as she opened up letting everything she had been thinking since his death come out. Her ramblings were cut short when Harry lowered his face to hers and kissed her gently on the lips.

As the kissed ended and Harry pulled back he could see the hope in her eyes. "It's not your fault Tonks and I obviously didn't die. Everything's ok, I'm here now." Reaching up he brushed his fingers across her cheek and gave her another soft kiss. "I love you too."

Tonks heart lurched in her chest as she heard the words she had longed to hear for so very long. He loved her! Throwing her arms around his neck, she kissed him with abandon.

Harry was unprepared for the assault but welcomed it all the same. After a few frantic moments, the kiss began to fall into a rhythm and Harry began to pull Tonks up to sit on his lap. A gasp of pain escaped her lips as he moved her causing him to stop and pull back from the amazing kiss they were sharing.

"Tonks, you're hurt," Harry said worriedly as he looked her up and down.

"I'm fine," she replied as she tried to pull him back into the kiss.

Harry wouldn't have it. "You fought Voldemort and got hit with the Cruciatus, of course you're hurt."

Tonks whined as Harry forced her to lie back down, not wanting to let him go. Reaching into his robes, he removed the potions store he had taken from Jake earlier.

"Cruciatus Potion," Harry said rapping on the side of the small box he held. He looked towards Tonks curiously when nothing came out of the box and she let out a giggle.

"Try Post Cruciatus," she said smiling lovingly back at him.

Her insides flipped in every direction as he shot her a smile before removing the needed potion and handing it to her. She downed the vial quickly, her eyes never leaving Harry. A feeling of relief swept through her as the pain began to float away but the potion made her drowsy even though sleeping was something she was loath to do at the moment.

Planning on putting the potions store on his desk, Harry tried to stand up but Tonks grip on him tightened as he did. "Don't go. Please." she begged.

Harry's heart broke at the scared and lost look in her eyes. As he took in the sight of her he suddenly realized exactly what she had gone through while he had been gone, what the thought of his death had done to her and he hated it. Tossing the potions store the rest of the way to the desk, he sat back down on the bed beside her and took her hands in his.

"I'm not going anywhere," he said softly, "I need to go help Jake in a bit but I _promise_ I'll be right here when you wake up."

"Promise," Tonks repeated as she began to lose her fight against the tiredness that was threatening to overwhelm her.

"I promise," Harry replied leaning down to place a gentle kiss on her lips.

Harry watched her for a long while as she fell asleep. She had a look of peacefulness about her that hadn't been there earlier and a small smile graced her lips. He watched her sleep for a while longer continuing to hold her hand and occasionally brushing her hair with his fingers until a knock at the door pulled his attention away from her.

Crossing the room and opening the door, Harry was surprised when Bill jumped forward and grabbed him. "Harry?" he asked frantically.

Harry nodded.

Pulling Harry into a manly hug, Bill gave him several strong pats on the back before stepping back with a look of relief on his face. "Damn Harry. I heard you were dead."

"No, I was hurt pretty bad but I'm fine now," he said with a shake of his head.

"What the hell happened?"

"Later," Harry replied, "it's a long story and I'd rather only tell it once. Do you know anything about healing?"

Bill nodded. "A fair amount. My job isn't exactly accident free," he said with a small grin.

"Could you help me with Tonks and Jake? They were hurt in the battle and I don't really know what to do."

"Of course." Bill said. Giving Harry another brotherly pat on the back and a smile, he went to Tonks side and began casting a few spells to see what was wrong with her.

* * *

Jake's eyes opened and he took a deep breath feeling the familiar feelings of his body being stiff and sore. As he shook off the tiredness he still felt, he slid his legs out of bed and sat on its edge. 

Taking another deep breath he looked around the room as he went over the battle's events trying to remember what happened. A grin snuck up on his features as he remembered punching Voldy in the face. He didn't remember much after that, just Voldy throwing his hands forward and a quick vision of Honks leaning over him. He was pretty sure that had happened at their evacuation point. No doubt Tonks had evacuated them when he went down.

Standing up, Jake let out a groan as he stretched before heading for Tonks room to see what had happened after he went down and how they had done in the battle. Reaching the door, he threw it open and walked over to Harry's bed where he knew she would be sleeping.

Jake stumbled the last few steps as he neared the bed and saw Harry sleeping with Tonks Harry with Tonks! His mind was spinning a thousand miles an hour, his eyes open wide and his jaw dropped while his heart thundered in his chest at the sight.

Taking another step forward he looked down to find a peaceful look on Harry's face as he slept. Jake could feel his magic and though something was slightly different, he knew without a doubt that it was him. He stared at him for several minutes, thanking the gods for what he was seeing, when it occurred to him that Harry and Tonks were holding each other in the same bed.

A large smile covered his face as he realized what this meant and his happiness at Harry's return seemed to double. It only now occurred to him that the look on Tonks face in sharp contrast to the last couple of weeks was one of peace and contentment.

Deciding to let the couple who looked so happy in each others arms sleep, Jake quietly crept back out of the room.

* * *

Tonks woke slowly, realizing as she did that she was half lying on someone who had their arms wrapped loosely around her. As she continued to slowly move towards consciousness, her thoughts passed over the previous nights events and she found herself instantly awake, her every thought on a single person, Harry. 

Her entire body tensed and her heart pounded at the thought though she kept her eyes tightly closed. As far fetched as the thought was, she was scared that last night had simply been a dream and the arms around her were someone else's. After a very tense minute, Tonks forced herself to calm down and took several deep breaths before slowly opening her eyes.

A small amount of light filtered through the half closed shade covering the window giving the room a soft light. As the room slowly came into view, Tonks could just make out a mop of messy black hair before Harry's face swam into view. Her heart soared and a tear of happiness made its way down her cheek at the sight, and she pressed herself tightly against him keeping her head on his shoulder so she could see his face.

She kept still and quiet, just watching him sleep with a soft smile playing on her lips. She relished in the feeling of his arms around her and could hardly believe it was really happening. Slowly she began to calm down and her heart rate eventually returned to normal though the feelings inside of her were still running strong.

Eventually Harry began to stir and she continued to watch as he slowly woke.

* * *

The feeling of being held tightly greeted Harry as he woke. He smiled internally at the thought that it was Tonks holding on to him and that she'd said she loved him. Opening his eyes, he was greeted by the sight of the woman in question smiling back at him with emotion filled eyes. 

"Hey," Harry said softly as he gave her a smile.

Tonks smiled even brighter as her stomach fluttered at the smile he gave her. "Morning Harry," she whispered back.

Leaning in he shared a long slow kiss with her before laying back down to continue looking at her. "I missed you."

They kept talking in whispered tones, the occasional kiss breaking up their conversation until a loud banging on the door startled them. A moment later Jakes voice boomed from the other side. "Damnit Tonks, put some clothes on, I want to see Harry too!"

Harry let out a laugh and Tonks rolled her eyes though she soon joined him as she was far to happy to do anything but laugh along

"Just a minute!" Harry called out as he got over his laughter.

After sharing another kiss with Tonks, Harry climbed out of bed noticing she started to grab hold of him as he stood up. "It's ok," he said softly, "I promised, remember?"

Tonks settled back down and nodded in understanding knowing he would never break his promise of last night. She watched him happily as he crossed the room and opened the door to be engulfed in Jake's firm grip.

"Damn good to see ya Harry!" Jake said grinning as he patted the young man on the back firmly.

"You too Jake," Harry smiled back.

Jake just shook his head as he stepped back and looked Harry up and down. "There has got to be a really good story behind this," he said taking a brief pause before he continued. "I mean Tonks? Are you kidding me? What's _Teen Witch Weekly_ gonna say Harry?"

Harry burst out in laughter as Jake ducked out of the way of a jet of yellow light. Turning around he found Tonks sitting up on the bed with her wand in her hand though she was grinning from ear to ear.

"All kidding aside, congratulations guys." Jake said sincerely.

Harry joined Tonks back on the bed where he wrapped an arm around her waist giving her another bright smile.

"So what happened?" Jake asked as he moved across the room and took a seat in his normal chair.

After whispering to Tonks, Harry joined Jake while she grabbed a clean change of clothes and went to take a shower.

"Long story. The short of it is that the curses hit the Portkey and sent me flying. Turns out the prophecy is real, hurt like hell though. Bill's bringing pizza over for lunch, is it ok if we wait until we're all here for the rest?"

"Bill's coming over?"

Harry nodded. "He showed up awhile after the attack last night and helped me patch you and Tonks up."

"Gotcha, of course Harry, of course," Jake said unable to remove the grin from his face.

A comfortable silence stretched out between the pair for a few minutes until Jake could no longer help himself. "You know, I made friends with your Uncle why you were gone."

"What!" Harry blurted out unable to believe what he was hearing.

Jake chuckled. "Yeah, I got bored while you were gone and fixed his car for something to do."

"You're kidding," Harry said incredulously, finding it impossible to picture his uncle being friendly with Jake.

"Oh yeah, I even had Dudley helping and…" Jake trailed off as he broke down in laughter at the look of shock and confusion on Harry's face. "Yeah, I'm just kidding," Jake eventually said through his laughter.

Harry just laughed and shook his head. "I missed you too Jake."

* * *

After Tonks finished in the bathroom, Harry took his turn. The three then sat around chatting all morning with Tonks snuggling up to Harry on the couch and gripping his arm tightly. Among other things, Tonks and Jake told Harry everything that had been happening with the Death Eaters and about the attack on Diagon Alley. 

It was a few minutes past noon when Bill showed up with several pizzas and dropped down into a seat next to Jake.

Jake watched Harry carefully, waiting for the right moment before he asked his question. "So what happened to you Harry?"

Tonks shared a quick look with Jake and let out a snort of laughter as Harry tried to quickly chew and swallow the bite he had just taken. Setting down the slice, Harry gave Tonks hand a comforting squeeze and took a deep breath as he prepared to tell his story.


	13. Harry Potter

**Chapter 13 – Harry Potter**

In a place of the purest magic, three blue phoenixes floated as if weightless with their wing tips just touching. Their song rang through the air and their bodies were strained to their limits as they used every bit of magic they possessed to ensure that Harry would endure rather than be reduced to less than spirit.

One by one they gave a final trill and burst into flame, leaving only a small pile of ash to tell their tale. The last phoenix trilled a little bit louder, he was the one who had chosen the boy. An image of baby Harry pulling his feathers passed through the birds mind before he exploded in a bright burst of fire and joined his brothers.

No more than a few seconds passed before the piles of ash began to shift and three small featherless heads rose from within their depths. The three shared a happy trill as they realized they had done it. The Chosen One was intact.

* * *

Darkness… 

Darkness was all there was and time seemed to have no meaning as Harry swam around in his own unconsciousness. There were no sights, no sounds, no feelings, no pain, just an emptiness that seemed to go on and on with no end in sight.

He had no idea how long he was in this state, but eventually he began receiving bits and pieces here and there.

A flicker of multicolored light…

Pain…

"…Is he going to be ok?..." a soft feminine voice said before Harry faded back into nothingness…

Flashes of yellow light.

A figure standing above him.

Darkness…

Pain…

Light.

* * *

"Mommy! Mommy!" five year old Lynn yelled as she ran across the park to where her mother was sitting on a bench watching her play. 

"Yes sweetie? What is it?" Angela said smiling at her daughter.

"A man mommy. A man in the bushes. He's got boo boos."

Angela's smile disappeared in an instant and she kneeled in front of her daughter so she could look her in the eye. "He's hurt?" she asked seriously.

Lynn nodded vigorously. "He's red all over."

"Stay here sweetheart," she said lifting Lynn up and setting her on the bench where she had been sitting a moment before.

Running over to where the little girl had been playing, Angela began looking through the bushes. It didn't take her long to find the man her daughter had been talking about. She gasped in shock as she took in the appearance of what appeared to be a teenage boy lying on the ground.

Just as her daughter had told her, the boy was covered in blood. His clothes were in tatters and there were several large gashes and cuts covering a large portion of his body. Blood freckled his face, arms and body but as many cuts as he had, most of the blood seemed to have originated from the upper part of his chest where a jagged cut surrounded by burned skin was located. His clothing had been burned away from the area and the remnants of a necklace hung from around his neck. Bits of what looked like glass that she assumed had once been some sort of bauble that hung from the necklace were imbedded in the burned area of skin.

It took her several moments, but finally she managed to shake off her shock at the scene before her and pull a cell phone out of her pocket.

"911 Emergency," a voice on the other end responded.

"Yes," she quickly began in a strained voice as she tried her best to remain calm, "my names Angela McArnly. I'm at Centennial Park in Gladstone Missouri. There's a boy here who's badly hurt."

"What are the nature of his injuries?"

Angela went on to describe what she could see while the operator ordered an ambulance and the police to the park. It wasn't long before Angela heard the unmistakable sounds of sirens approaching giving her a sense of relief knowing help was on the way.

* * *

Sarah Martin moved through the intensive care ward with the latest test reports for John Doe. Normally she never left the hospitals lab but the doctor in charge had insisted he had to have them right away so here she was missing her lunch hour again. Sure she was the newest employee in the lab but she was getting sick and tired of having to do all the grunt work. 

Sarah let out a groan of frustration as she entered the small room to find it filled with various doctors and nurses all clustered around the patient who had appeared in a small park not far from the hospital a week earlier.

"Doctor," she said trying to hand the small file to the physician in charge.

"Just a minute," he replied gruffly without even looking in her direction.

"I have the results of the tests you…" her words trailed off as the doctor waved a hand in her face letting her know in no uncertain terms she would have to wait.

Sarah shook her head, a quiet grunt of annoyance escaping her throat as she was carelessly waved off. 'Great,' she thought, 'third time this week I'm gonna miss my lunch.'

With nothing else to be done, Sarah moved to one side of the door to wait until the man was ready for her.

"Enough!" the doctor said with authority to his younger colleague, "No progress has been made since he was brought in. I _am_ taking charge of this case and your arguments are only serving to complicate the matter." Taking a deep breath and forcing himself to calm down he continued. "Dr. Simpson, it is not my intention to completely remove you from this patient's care but I will if you can't move past your petty ego and look at the bigger picture."

The older man glared at the young resident for a few moments before continuing. "Have I made myself perfectly clear?"

"Yes Dr. Verans."

"Good! Now, I understand the boy had to be sedated shortly after being brought in?"

"Yes sir, on his way into the ER he began screaming and thrashing about. It took four orderlies to keep him in place while we medicated him."

"Has he had any additional sedatives or pain medication since that time?"

"No sir."

"And he's been completely unresponsive since then?"

"Yes sir," the young resident said as he handed the older man a thick folder, "I have tried a variety of treatments but have been unable to make any progress with the wound on his chest or his present state of unconsciousness."

Dr. Verans flipped through the folder quickly going over the patient's treatment history.

"Is he going to be ok?" one of the nurses asked the pair.

Dr. Simpson let out a pained sigh and rubbed his eyes. "To be honest, I don't know how he's survived this long."

"What the…" Dr. Verans said before looking up at the resident in shock. "Would you mind explaining to me why you administered almost three times the normal dose when you sedated him?"

The younger man swallowed heavily at the tone of his mentor. "The first two doses didn't make a dent."

The frown on the older mans face made it clear he was not happy with what he was reading in the file. "He should have died on your table," he mumbled as he continued to look through the file, "he may never wake up."

Closing the file, Dr. Verans looked at his younger colleague with a stern expression. "No further actions will be taken with this patient with out my express consent."

As he began working out a course of action, the doctor moved to one side giving Sarah a partially obstructed view of the patient in question. Thinking he looked familiar, she took a step forward and leaned a little to her right to get a better look. Her eyes opened wide and a loud gasp escaped her throat as she recognized the man lying in the bed as being the young man she had been reading so much about in the wizarding papers lately.

Dropping the folder she jumped back in shock causing a tray of bandages to fall on the floor with a loud crash.

"Are you alright?" a kind voice said through her shock.

It was hard for her to do, but eventually Sarah was able to pull her gaze away from Harry's unconscious form to find Dr. Verans looking at her with concern filled eyes.

Shaking herself out of her stupor, Sarah forced herself to take a deep breath before answering. "Yes… Yes, I'm sorry, I thought he was a friend of mine, for a second."

Dr. Verans nodded and smiled kindly. "But he's not?"

Sarah shook her head. "No sir."

"Why don't you take the afternoon off… Sarah," he said reading the badge on her scrubs, "You look like you could use it."

"Yeah, I think I will. Thank you Doctor."

After receiving a nod, Sarah left the room with her mind spinning wildly in several different directions. Stopping by her locker to grab her keys, Sarah quickly left the hospital and drove as fast as she could to her sister's house.

She simply couldn't believe it and didn't know what to do. Being a muggle she didn't have the necessary skills or connections to figure the situation out by herself, but her sister was a witch and could hopefully help her.

Pulling into the driveway of a modest ranch home, Sarah jumped out of the car and ran up to the front door and started banging on it loudly. "Samantha! Samantha!"

A small dark haired woman opened the door and leaned on its frame with her arms crossed and a small smile playing on her lips. "You know Sarah, the door was open."

Sarah rolled her eyes and stepped into the house grabbing her sister's arm as she passed and dragging her into the living room. Shoving Samantha down onto the couch, Sarah began to pace nervously.

Samantha lost her smile as she noticed the look of worry on her sister's face. "What's wrong Sarah?"

Stopping in front of her sister, Sarah ran her fingers through her hair before looking down where she was sitting. "You know that boy Harry Potter and his friends in England we've been reading about?"

Samantha nodded with a curious look on her face.

Looking around as if she was nervous they would be overheard, Sarah took a seat next to Samantha and took a deep breath. "I was running some labs up to one of the doctors earlier. They were for a John Doe they brought in a week ago." Sarah paused for a second to take another deep breath before continuing. "It's him! It's Harry Potter!"

"What!" Samantha exclaimed.

Sarah nodded vigorously. "Yes, I saw his scar. He's in the hospital I work at and he's not doing very good. One of the nurses asked if he was going to be ok and the doctor said he was surprised he hadn't died already. I don't know what to do."

"Holy shit…" Samantha said. Her unseeing gaze wandered around the room as she tried to figure out what this meant and what to do.

"What the hell are we gonna do Sam? We can't leave him there, he needs help."

"I don't know, I don't know…" Samantha said as she continued to try to think.

"Sam!" Sarah said after several minutes of silence passed.

"I don't know ok!"

Standing up Samantha drew her wand. "Stay here, I might know someone who can help."

"You sure they're ok?" Sarah asked nervously.

Samantha nodded. "Yeah, he's cool. Just stay here."

Without another word, Samantha Apparated away.

After staring at the spot Samantha had disappeared from for a long minute, Sarah let out a deep breath before going to the kitchen to get something to drink while she waited for her sister to return.

* * *

Samantha appeared in a large, sterile looking room. The walls and floor were covered in a plain white tile and completely lacked any of the normal appointments that typically covered the walls in a reception area. The only thing breaking up the monotonous color was a pair of double doors and a desk situated at one end of the room. 

"May I help you?" a young woman said from behind the desk.

Stepping forward, Samantha returned her friendly smile. "I hope so, I was hoping to find a friend of mine, Chris Baker."

"Is he a patient here?" the woman asked as she began flipping though one of the piles of papers on her desk.

"No, he's a resident."

Putting down the papers she had been looking through, the woman picked up a phone and pressed one of the buttons before speaking into the handset. Samantha jumped as a tone sounded through a speaker in the ceiling and the woman's voice echoed throughout the building.

"Chris Baker call 7-7-2. Chris Baker 7-7-2."

Placing the handset back on its cradle, the receptionist returned her attention to Samantha. "What was your name?"

"Samantha Martin."

The woman made some notes on one of her many clipboards, stopping her work when the phone rang.

"Reception… Yes sir, I have a Samantha Martin here to see you… I will, thank you."

Hanging up the phone, the receptionist gestured to the doors behind her. "He's on his way down, there's a waiting room to the left as you go through the doors."

"Thank you," Samantha said before heading in the direction the receptionist had indicated.

Stepping out of the reception area, Samantha entered a hallway filled with people bustling about in all directions. As the noise and smells of the hallway greeted her in stark difference to the quiet of the room she had just come from, she realized the reception area must be warded against the normal commotion of the hospital.

Moving towards a large group of seats to her left, Samantha sat in an available chair and waited for her friend to arrive. A few minutes later she rolled her eyes as she heard her much hated nick name from her youth shouted across the waiting room.

"Sammy!"

"You know I hate it when you call me that," she said as she looked up.

"Yeah, I know but what you gonna do?" Chris said grinning widely.

Crossing her arms, Samantha gave him her best glare. It seemed to have no effect at all.

"Now Sammy, if you keep making that face it's gonna stay that way."

"I hate you," Samantha said though her eyes were shining in a way that told a different story.

"I know," Chris said still grinning, "I love you too."

Shaking her head, Samantha couldn't help but smile at her old school friend.

"So what's up Sammy?" Chris said as he plopped himself down on the sofa next to her.

Samantha ignored his use of her hated nickname and instead looked around nervously. "Is there a safe place we can talk?"

Chris's smile fell away as he took in the slightly nervous look on his friends face. Drawing his wand, Chris moved it in a circle around their heads while muttering a spell causing a dome of fog to appear around them.

"It's safe now, what's wrong?"

"You know those stories coming out of England?"

Chris nodded.

"Well, Sarah showed up at my house a little while ago. There's a John Doe at the hospital she works at that appeared in a park a week ago. She says it's Harry Potter."

Chris's eyes opened wide at the announcement. "Is she sure?"

Samantha nodded. "Yeah, she recognized him from the pictures in the papers and he has the scar on his forehead. She said he's in really bad shape and the doctors don't think he's going to live."

"Crap… Come on." Waving his wand as he stood up, Chris dispelled the dome and reached out to pull Samantha up from her seat.

"Where are we going?" Samantha asked as she trailed behind Chris who was still holding her hand. She practically had to jog to keep up with him as he dragged her quickly down the hallway.

"We have to go see the Director of the hospital."

Samantha stopped pulling Chris to a stop with her. "I don't know Chris, are you sure about this?"

"He's good people Sam and I don't think I can handle this alone."

Samantha nodded and once again found herself running along behind her friend. An elevator ride and two more hallways later she found herself being led into the outer office of the Hospitals Director. The secretary was on the phone when they entered and Samantha began to get nervous again as they waited.

"Chris, I think we should keep this a secret until we know more," Samantha whispered.

"Sam…"

"Please."

Chris found himself unable to say no as she looked at him with scared, pleading eyes. "Alright, but the minute I decide we need him we're coming back ok?"

Samantha nodded quickly and gave him a big hug.

As he released his friend, Chris couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle. "Come on," he said once again taking her hand to lead her out of the office.

Turning around, the pair had taken two steps towards the office door when an old man with a long white beard entered.

Smiling brightly, the Director of the facility greeted them. "Well hello Mr. Baker."

"Director Dumbledore," Chris replied shaking the hand the Director offered him.

"Now, now, you know I don't like titles."

"Sorry, Aberforth."

"That's better and who might this lovely young lady be?"

Samantha froze as she realized she was in the presence of Albus Dumbledore's brother. It hadn't been that long ago she had read an interview with Harry Potter in the paper that talked all about the problems Harry and Albus were having with each other right now.

"Miss?" Aberforth said kindly as he noticed the young woman was looking at him in shock.

"I… I…" Samantha was so caught up in her shock that she found herself unable to speak.

"It's ok," Chris said to Aberforth as he wrapped an arm around his friend, "I'll take care of her."

"No, no, bring her in here, she should lie down for a bit." Beckoning Chris to follow him with a wave of his hand, Aberforth led the way into his private office.

Chris led Samantha to a large couch that sat with some other comfortable looking leather chairs in front of a fireplace at one end of the large office. After laying her down, Chris took a seat on the edge of the couch next to her and softly talked her into calming down. Eventually she was able to sit up next to him at which point Aberforth joined them taking a seat in a chair across from the pair.

"I'm glad to see you're feeling better."

"Thank you sir, sorry," Samantha replied with a slight blush of embarrassment in her cheeks.

"Your quit welcome Ms… I don't believe I have gotten your name yet," Aberforth replied with his usual disarming smile firmly in place.

"I'm Samantha Martin sir."

"It's nice to meet you Ms. Martin. So what can I do for the two of you today?"

"Oh nothing sir, we were just leaving when we bumped into you," Chris said.

"Nonsense, you came here for something now what can I help you with."

Sharing a quick look with Samantha, Chris gave her hand a squeeze and turned back to the Director. "Gladstone Memorial Hospital in Missouri has a John Doe in their intensive care unit they don't expect to live. In actuality, it's Harry Potter."

Aberforth's eyes widened and he looked at the pair before him for a long minute as he thought about what that could mean. "You're sure it's him?" he finally asked.

Chris nodded. "Yes sir. Sam's sister works there and recognized him from the photos in the paper and the scar on his forehead."

"Your not going to tell your brother, are you sir?" Samantha blurted out worriedly.

Aberforth couldn't help but smile as he turned towards her. "At least I now understand why you had a panic attack when you saw me."

Again Samantha went flush from embarrassment.

Letting out a chuckle, Aberforth laid her fears to rest. "I don't think that would be the wisest course of action at this moment in time, do you?"

Samantha let out a visible sigh of relief. "No sir."

"I think the three of us and your sister should keep this to ourselves, the less people who know about this the better. Agreed?" Aberforth said looking and receiving nods of agreement from both of them.

"Chris," Aberforth began as a pad of paper appeared in his hand and he began to write, "I would like you to take this downstairs to the garage and give it to whomever is driving Ambulance number 332. If they are not there, wait for them. Follow whatever directions they give you."

"Yes sir," Chris said as he accepted the note. Standing up he gave his friend a smile. "I'll catch up with you later Sammy."

After Chris left, Samantha looked towards Aberforth and was surprised to see him waving his wand over a ball point pen.

"I just made this into a Portkey that will bring you back to this office. If you wouldn't mind, I would like you to bring your sister here."

"Yes sir," she said nervously as she stood and accepted the Portkey.

Rising from his seat, Aberforth smiled warmly at her. "I can see that you're worried about my intentions no doubt because of whom my brother is. Let me assure you that my only concern is for Mr. Potter's health. As part of that I believe it is critical for his safety that as few people as possible know of his condition. _No one_ other than the four of us will know about this and I promise you I will help Harry get better. Whatever happens after that will be entirely up to him."

Samantha felt a tingle of magic flow through the room as he made his promise and her uncertainty faded away to be replaced with relief. He was going to help.

"Thank you Director," she said giving him a genuine smile.

"Now, now, what did I say earlier about titles?"

Samantha chuckled. "Sorry, Aberforth."

Grinning brightly, Aberforth headed towards his desk as Samantha left.

"My but we do live in interesting times," Aberforth said to the empty room as he thought about this odd turn of events.

* * *

Chris wandered around the garage looking at the numbers on the half dozen ambulances parked about. He'd gone over them twice and was about to ask for help when he spotted one parked in the back corner of the garage. Approaching the large white vehicle, Chris found that it was the one he'd been looking for, number 332. 

"Hello," he said as he approached the driver's door. The window was down and he found a small blond haired man sitting inside listening to the radio.

"Hey. Can I help you with something?"

"I have a note from Director Dumbledore," Chris replied offering the driver the note he carried.

Accepting the piece of paper, the driver gestured to the seat next to him. "Hop in."

Chris was shocked at first but remembered Aberforth telling him to do whatever the driver said so after walking around the ambulance, he climbed in the passenger's side and closed the door.

"Holy shit," the driver muttered as he read the note.

"What's going on?" Chris said as the man started the engine and shifted into drive.

"In a minute," he replied. Turning his head to one side as he drove out of the garage, he yelled into the back. "Hey Chuck! We got a pickup!"

A minute later another man stuck his head through a curtain and was passed the note.

"Holy shit."

"That's what I said."

"I'll prep," Chuck said disappearing into the back.

As they pulled out of the garage, the driver looked at his passenger and smiled widely. "Hang on!" Reaching up he pushed a button on the dash and the ambulance gave a mighty lurch and shot down the street at an unbelievable speed. All along their route trees, houses and the odd phone pole leapt out of their way as they flew by.

"Wow!" Chris said as he adjusted to their speed.

"Kick in the pants isn't it."

Chris nodded and looked out the window for another minute before returning his attention to the man driving the ambulance. "So… Dan," he began reading the nametag on his shirt, "what's going on?"

Dan grinned. "We're going to pick up Harry Potter. What do you think we're doing?"

'I thought this was going to be kept secret,' Chris thought as he heard Dan mention Potter's name. The worry he was feeling must have shown on his face because a moment later Dan began explaining.

"Don't worry so much, this is what we do. The note you had activated an enchantment on the ambulance, me and Chuck when you gave it to me. Once we're done getting Potter, me and Chuck will forget everything about him."

Chris nodded as a feeling of relief swept through him. "You do this often?"

Dan nodded. "You'd be amazed."

"So why am I here?"

Dan looked back at him like he was an idiot. "Well, cause you're the doctor."

In no time at all they were pulling into the drive at Gladstone Memorial.

* * *

"Ahhh!" Sarah screamed as Samantha appeared in front of her with a loud crack. "Jesus Sam, you scared the crap out of me!" 

Samantha couldn't help but laugh at her sister. Her laughter quickly passed as she saw how nervous and worried Sarah was. "Don't worry sis, everything's being taken care of."

Sarah let out a visible sigh of relief. "Your friend's helping Harry?"

Giving her sister a nod, Sarah elaborated. "Yes, you remember Chris right?"

A loud groan echoed through the room causing Samantha to let out a snort. "Please tell me you didn't."

"Who else was I going to get? He's a doctor and he took me to meet the Director of the hospital who sent him and an ambulance to pick Harry up."

Samantha watched as her sister slumped in her seat. As her nervousness started to ebb away, she found she couldn't help herself. "The Director was really nice, his name is Aberforth Dumbledore."

"WHAT!" Sarah roared jumping up from her seat on the couch to face her sister. "What the hell were you thinking Sam!"

Samantha did her best to suppress her laughter but only managed to keep in under control for a few seconds before she burst out laughing at the expression on her sister's face.

"It's not funny Sam! What if he tells his brother? Oh my god… Oh my god…"

As Sarah began to pace again Samantha shook her head and sighed. "Don't worry, he's ok Sarah. He's going to help and he isn't going to tell his brother anything."

"You're sure?"

"Positive. He promised he would help and then let Harry decide what to do next, it was a magical promise Sarah, he _will_ help."

Sarah nodded and watched as Samantha pulled a ball point pen out of her pocket and held it toward her. "Grab hold Sarah, you can meet him for yourself."

Sarah's eyes opened wide and she stared at the pen warily. "What's this?"

"It's a portkey. It'll take us to the Director's office."

"You're really sure?" Sarah asked looking up from the pen.

"Yes Sarah, trust me. We might even be able to visit Harry."

Taking a deep breath, Sarah took hold of the offered pen and watched in fascination as Samantha tapped it with her wand. A moment later she felt an odd hooking sensation behind her naval and the nauseating feeling of spinning though space.

* * *

Chris followed along as Dan and Chuck pushed a gurney through a maze of hallways before coming to a stop in front of a large desk covered with monitors and paperwork. 

"Hello dear," Dan said as he opened a steel folder he was carrying and pulled out several forms which he handed to the nurse. "We're here to pickup a John Doe you have."

The nurse was shocked by the transfer orders but everything seemed to be in order. "I'll have to notify the doctor."

"Of course dear, which room is he in?"

"122," the nurse replied without even having to consult her charts. Everyone in the hospital knew of the John Doe who was defying the odds.

Sending the woman a warm smile, Dan led the group around the counter to a room not far away. Chris immediately moved towards the bed where the John Doe he now recognized as Harry Potter was lying unmoving.

"Wait!" Dan said gaining Chris's attention. "Let me and Chuck do our thing. We can't do much of anything until the doctor in charge gets here anyway."

Chris nodded in frustration and stepped back from the bed. A minute later an old man with gray hair entered the room carrying the paperwork Dan had given the nurse earlier.

"What is the meaning of this?" Doctor Verans asked as he stepped into the room. His gaze immediately went to his patient making sure he was ok.

Chris watched as Dan approached the doctor. He noticed Chuck who had been leaning against the wall next to the door had drawn his wand and was quietly muttering an incantation as he waved it over the door and windows.

"We're here to move this patient to a facility where he can be better cared for," Dan said evenly.

"That's impossible. He would never survive the trip. Who exactly authorized this…" Doctor Verans stopped talking and his eyes took on a glazed look as Chuck finished warding the room and cast an obliviate spell at him wiping out his memories from the point he entered the room.

"Everything is fine and in order. You stopped by to check if we needed anything but we don't. After making sure we're all set you will leave the room letting the nurses know everything is fine on your way out."

Doctor Verans blinked several times and looked around in confusion before returning his attention to Dan. "Well, if you're sure you don't need anything."

"Nope, we're all good here, thanks for asking," Dan said cheerfully.

"Very well then, I'll just let the nurses know everything is in order." Giving the group another smile, Doctor Verans left the room.

"Ok Chris," Dan said, "time to do your thing."

Chris nodded and drew his wand as he stepped towards the bed. After a half hour and an untold number of spells, he turned to his companions wiping the sweat from his brow as he did. "Well, it's not pretty but that should hold him until we can get him back to the hospital. Hopefully Director Dumbledore will meet us when we arrive, I don't know what the hell's going on with the wound on his chest."

Nodding towards the doctor, Dan and Chuck stepped forward and moved Harry onto the gurney. After covering him up, they wheeled him out of the hospital to the ambulance with Chris following close behind.

* * *

Samantha and Sarah fell to the ground in a tangle of limbs as they arrived at their destination. They were both giggling madly as they extracted themselves from each other and stood. 

"That's nuts," Sarah said as she shook off the dizziness of the Portkey ride. "I can't believe you travel like that all the time."

"No, not all the time. Mostly I Apparate and it doesn't feel anything like that."

As she shook off the uncomfortable feelings of traveling by Portkey, Sarah's eyes began wandering around the office taking in the various pieces of furniture and items scattered about the large but comfortable space. As she turned around, her eyes finally came to rest on an old man sitting behind a large mahogany desk. She couldn't help but swallow heavily in trepidation as she came face to face with a man who looked exactly like the Albus Dumbledore she had read about and seen pictures of in the wizarding papers.

"Greetings," Aberforth said rising from his seat and walking around the large desk to meet his visitors, "you must be Sarah."

Sarah stared at the old man in front of her in shock and with a little bit of fear until Samantha finally gave her a poke in the ribs to shake her out of her stupor. After giving her snickering sister a glare, Sarah turned back to Dumbledore and accepted his offered hand. "I'm Sarah," she said in greeting realizing with a groan of embarrassment as she said it that he had already recognized her and used her name.

"Excellent!" Aberforth exclaimed happily. "I'm Aberforth. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

Seeing the wariness in the girl's eyes, Aberforth raised his other hand so that he was holding Sarah's hand in both of his. "I can see you don't entirely trust my motives, no doubt because of whom my brother is. I promise you I am going to do everything I can to help young Mr. Potter get better. As I've told your sister already I will not be informing my brother of anything. Considering the situation I think it's best if we keep the number of people who know about this to a minimum."

He could see the girl was still wary of him and while her sister's trust had been easy enough to gain by giving her a magical promise, he knew this wouldn't be the case with Sarah as she was a muggle and could not fully understand a promise of that sort. "Trust between two people has to be earned and I'm confident if you'll give me a chance I will be able to earn yours. Will you give me that chance?"

Having no real choice in the matter Sarah nodded her acceptance though she was still a bit nervous. "Yes sir."

A bright smile appeared on Aberforth's face as he released her hands. "Excellent! Now, the first thing I need you to do is to call me Aberforth."

Sarah couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm. "Ok… Aberforth."

"Now, why don't the three of us go down to the commissary and get better…" Aberforth began before he paused and got a far away look in his eyes for several seconds. "Change of plans, Chris is almost back with Harry Potter."

Gesturing for the girls to follow him, he walked quickly to the back of his office where a large painting of a knight riding a horse hung on the wall. "Platypus."

Hearing the correct password, the horse bowed its head as did the knight before the painting swung open to reveal a small elevator. Stepping inside, Aberforth waited for the girls to join him before pressing the top and bottom buttons at the same time. "This will take us to where Harry is going to be."

The girls nodded and both began getting worried as the elevator descended into the depths of the Hospital and they thought about their ever nearing encounter with Harry Potter. With a soft ding the elevator finally came to a halt and the doors opened. Following the Director, the girls found themselves in a short hallway with several rooms on each side. Each room had its own door and observation window and while the girls could see that there were patients in some of them, they were unable to tell who they were. For some reason, their faces were blurry when the girls looked at them.

"Sir?" Samantha asked curiously.

"Aberforth, and the windows are charmed so that no one can tell who's in the room other than the primary care giver and myself."

Samantha and Sarah both nodded in understanding feeling a little bit better about bringing Harry here.

Near the end of the hall, Dumbledore opened a door and let the girls go in ahead of him. The room they found themselves in was fairly large with a hospital bed sitting in the center. Around the walls sat all manner of medical instruments both magical and muggle.

"Alright," Aberforth began, "they should be here any moment. You're welcome to stay but please try and keep out from underfoot. Don't panic if you see nurses or orderlies enter the room. There's a confundus charm that will prevent them from learning Harry's identity. To anyone but the three of us and Chris he will just be another patient."

They both nodded in understanding but Aberforth noticed that while Sarah seemed to be in her element, Samantha looked decidedly uncomfortable. "As I've said you are welcome to stay but if you would rather not, there's a waiting room back down the hall next to the elevator we arrived in."

He could see Sarah was resolved to stay but noticed Samantha seemed torn.

"I… I think I'll stay," Samantha finally said.

"Alright," Aberforth said kindly. "If you change your mind you know where you can go."

All further talk was abruptly halted when two men practically ran in the room pushing a gurney. Chris was apparently standing on the beds framework riding along and working frantically on the boy in the bed.

"He's coding!" Chris yelled as they entered the room.

Aberforth's wand was in his hand in an instant as he moved to stand opposite Chris. His wand moved quickly in an intricate pattern above Harry's body, various colored lights erupting from its tip as he went.

"Bag him," Aberforth ordered.

Chuck immediately pulled a device from one of the many cabinets lining the walls and placed it over Harry's face. At intervals he squeezed a large ball that was attached to the mask.

Chris flipped his wand towards a monitor sitting near the head of the room's currently unused bed and a loud, solid tone rang through the room.

"Clear!" Aberforth shouted. As Chris raised his hands a yellow light erupted from Aberforth's wand hitting Harry squarely in the chest.

"Nothing," Chris stated as the tone echoing thought the room continued to sound.

"Clear!" Again Chris stepped back as another yellow light, this one a little bit brighter than the last, flashed into Harry's chest. This time the tone began beeping in a steady rhythm.

"We're good but he's bleeding out through the wound on his chest."

After observing the monitors for several seconds, Aberforth turned his attention to the injury Chris had just told him about while Chris administered some blood restorative.

"Oh god!" Samantha said covering her mouth with one hand and wrapping the other around her stomach as she saw the large nasty looking wound on Harry's chest. A moment later she ran from the room.

"Sarah," Chris said gaining the girls attention, "get a calming draught and go look after Sam."

Nodding her acceptance, Sarah was about to ask where she could get one when Dan handed her a small vial of potion.

"Thanks," she said as she accepted the draught and stepped towards the door.

"No problem," Dan replied grinning. After watching Sarah leave, Dan turned his attention back to Harry to find Aberforth Pressing a large bandage against his chest wound.

"Ok, let's move him to the bed."

Working together, Dan and Chuck performed a levitation spell and carefully transferred Harry to the bed while Aberforth continued to apply pressure to the wound.

"Thank you gentlemen," Aberforth said as the pair left with the gurney.

"Anytime Aberforth," Dan replied happily. As he stepped out of the room and into the hallway. An odd shiver passed through his body and he realized the charm he was working under had taken effect. Glancing over his shoulder, he could see someone's blurry form lying on a bed in the room he had just been in and while he knew he had brought them here, he couldn't for the life of him remember who it was.

* * *

Samantha ran into a small waiting room and looked around frantically. Seeing what she was looking for, she took a couple quick strides across the room and dropped to her knees before a small waste basked before emptying the contents of her stomach into it. A minute later she felt a comforting hand on her back and looked to the side to find her sister looking at her with concern. 

"You ok Sam?"

"Uhhhg," Samantha moaned as she returned to the bin next to her for another go.

As she began to settle down, Samantha drew her wand and vanished the mess on her face and in the basket before casting another charm on her mouth to clean it as well. Returning her wand to her pocket, she leaned back before standing a bit unsteadily. She was glad her sister was there to lean on.

"Come on," Sarah said leading Samantha to a nearby sofa.

Setting her down, Sarah removed a cork from the vial she was carrying and handed it to her sister.

"What's this?" Samantha asked as she accepted the potion.

"Something to help you calm down."

Nodding in understanding, Samantha quickly downed its contents and immediately began to feel better. Looking around the small waiting room, she was happy to find it empty. "God, I'm so embarrassed," she muttered.

Sarah smiled warmly. "Don't be, happens all the time."

Samantha returned her smile. "It just looked so bad. I hope he'll be alright."

A long sigh escaped Sarah's lips. "Me too Sam, me too."

* * *

"I've never seen anything like this." Chris muttered as they examined the wound on Harry's chest. 

"Yes, most intriguing. It's obviously been caused by some sort of dark curse but I've never seen anything quite like it either."

"I tried to cast a spell to close it and that's when his body began to shut down."

"Hmmm," Aberforth muttered as he examined the magic within the wound. A minute later an idea hit him and he switched to the scar on Harry's forehead. "Amazing…"

"Abe?"

"Sorry, if I had to guess I'd say he has survived another killing curse."

"What!" Chris said, shocked at the very idea.

Aberforth chuckled slightly at his response. "Yes, it would seem that Mr. Potter is yet again 'The Boy Who Lived'. Oddly this new one seems to differ slightly from the one on his forehead. That one appears to have some external magical force acting upon it. The one on his chest does not. I'm not entirely sure but I suspect that magic is why the one on his head has healed. The question is how do we heal the one on his chest without that magic?"

The pair continued to work on the wound for a long while but every time they used any kind of magic on the wound, Harry's body would respond violently to the intrusion.

Letting out a sigh, Aberforth finally threw up his hands in frustration. "I'm afraid I have no idea at this point. Why don't we use muggle methods for now and research curse wounds and scars. Perhaps we can discover something that will help."

Nodding in agreement, Chris retrieved some sutures from one of the cabinets and assisted in closing and dressing the large wound.

"I would like you to increase his drip," Aberforth began gesturing to the IV that hung from a hook near the head of Harry's bed. "I want to flush the drugs the muggle doctors have been giving him out of his system. The only medication I want him on at this time is a simple antibiotic to help fight any infections that might be brewing."

Chris nodded and made the adjustments. After checking the monitors and verifying Harry was stable, the pair left his room and headed down the hallway to the waiting room at the far end continuing to discuss Harry's care as they went.

"I am going to reassign all of your current cases. For now your sole responsibility will be Mr. Potter."

Chris nodded and smiled feeling very pleased that Aberforth would trust him with this particular patient. "Thanks Aberforth. Based on what we've seen so far, I would like to discuss any changes in his care with you before making them and have you on hand for anything major."

"Of course my boy. I have no intention of leaving you to do this on your own. Hopefully between the two of us we can come up with some answers."

As they entered the waiting room, the two girls jumped to their feet and quickly crossed the room to greet Aberforth and Chris.

"Were you able to help him?" "Is he ok?" they quickly asked, the worry in their voices clear for all to hear.

Aberforth sighed. "We've done all we can at this time but I'm afraid Harry is not making things easy on us. We've had very little luck dealing with the wound on his chest."

"What kind of spell causes something like that?" Samantha asked feeling slightly green at the thought of the nasty gash.

Chris's expression turned grave at the thought. "We can't say for sure but we think it was the killing curse."

The girl's eyes opened wide and identical looks of shock appeared on their faces at his announcement.

"You mean like the curse he was hit with when he was a baby?" Sarah managed to ask after a few moments.

"Yes," began Aberforth, "but more than that judging by the size of the wound and the tissue damage around it I believe he was hit with no less than three Avada Kedavra's this time."

"Oh my god…" Samantha whispered.

"You will be able to help him, won't you?"

Another pained sigh escaped Aberforth's lips. "Alas the situation we find ourselves in is unprecedented. Chris will be concentrating solely on Harry's care and I will be spending as much time as possible on the same but we are treading in uncharted territory and I fear it will take some time to work through this particular injury. Fortunately Harry seems a resilient young man and I firmly believe he will eventually pull through this."

After taking a minute to absorb what he said, Sarah looked up at the old man and smiled. "Thank you sir, for everything."

Aberforth returned her smile with one of his own. "Thank you Sarah for rescuing Harry." A moment later his smile fell and he looked at her with a much more serious expression on his face though his eyes were alight with mirth. "And what exactly did I tell you about calling me sir?"

* * *

The White Dementor flew over the brilliant blue water of the Atlantic Ocean wishing he could use his power to speed his journey but knowing his reserves were limited and he would need every ounce of his magic for what was to come. Far below he spied a ship with several dozen Muggles on board and briefly entertained thoughts of consuming their souls to gain the energy he desired to speed his travels. 

'No!' he thought furiously to himself. 'I will not kill. Never again.'

Regret filled his being as he remembered the mistakes of his past, mistakes that had caused his people to be cursed with the affliction they now suffered. Their redemption was finally at hand and even knowing that it would soon cost him his very existence, he would never stray from the light again.

Looking up from the ship below and back towards the horizon, the Lord of the Dementors continued on towards the pull of the chosen one. The only one who when given the chance had not demanded their subservience. The one who would deliver him to the lost line, to his people's salvation.

* * *

The next week passed with excruciating slowness. Aberforth and Chris became increasingly frustrated as the answers they sought continued to elude them. Even the stitches had failed to help, dissolving into the wound after a few short hours. 

"Director!" an orderly yelled as he threw open the door to Dumbledore's office and frantically ran inside.

Aberforth looked up in alarm from the book he had been studying in his continued efforts to help Harry.

"Sir, there's a Dementor in the building!"

Jumping up from his chair, Aberforth drew his wand and started around the desk when a loud explosion sounded from somewhere far below and the whole building shook.

"No," Aberforth muttered worriedly having a feeling he knew where the explosion had come from. "Find Chris Baker and send him to my private wing."

With a quick nod to the Director, the orderly ran back out of the office.

Not having the time to deal with the elevator, Aberforth Apparated directly to his private wing of the hospital and let out a gasp at the sight that greeted him. He had appeared in front of the elevator looking down the hallway to where Harry's room was located, a hallway that was now filled with debris that used to be the windows, door and a large section of the front wall of Harry's room.

Running down the hallway, he came to a stop in front of Harry's room and his heart filled with dread. Harry was kneeling on his bed with his left hand wrapped tightly around the neck of the Dementor he had been told about. His other hand and arm was alight with blue flame and being held out to one side by the Dementor.

As shocked as he was by the scene in front of him, he was just as shocked by the sight of the Dementor which was entirely white unlike any he had ever come into contact with or even heard about. The creature's hood was down and while it was obvious it was a Dementor, this one's skin was not nearly as slimy looking or scabbed as it normally was and it had eyes. In fact it looked as if it could almost pass for human.

"No! I won't let you take her!" Harry screamed.

The Dementor made no move to indicate it had heard the boys yells instead staying completely still as it continued to restrain Harry's flaming arm though Aberforth suspected from the grimace on the creatures face it was being caused a considerable amount of pain by the fire encasing Harry's arm.

* * *

Harry felt like he was swimming in glue. Occasionally bursts of pain or brief glimpses of reality would surface before he was once again sucked down into the darkness of his dreams. Dreams that were more often than not nightmares of terrors reaped upon him by the Dark Lord he constantly fought. 

He continued to fight with all his might against the unconsciousness that gripped him, his thoughts centered around a witch that had captured his heart. He fought to escape, to return so that he might see her again. He couldn't believe how much he missed her as he continued to struggle against the prison of his mind.

After another brief flicker of light passed, Harry felt himself sliding backwards into yet another dream. As the real world dissolved around him, he found himself standing next to Tonks. He smiled at the sight of her but his happiness quickly fled to be replaced by fear as he realized they were surrounded by Dementors.

Before he could react, several of the creatures moved forward and took hold of them both. He struggled against the slimy hands that held him but was unable to break free. Looking towards Tonks he found her frozen in fear as a Dementor glided towards her and lowered its hood.

"NO!" he yelled, struggling for all he was worth to break free from the hands that held him.

* * *

Gliding into a small room at the end of a long corridor, the White Dementor spied the object of his search lying injured on a small hospital bed. Moving silently around the room, he approached the side of the bed and gazed reverently down at the young wizard. 

Raising a hand, he carefully removed some bandages covering his chest and discarded them to one side. Lowering his hood, the Dementor gazed down at the wound. He recognized the work of the killing curse instantly, its damage something he hadn't seen for many millennia but with the taint of a magic so specific and vile that he could not mistake it for anything else.

Knowing he would need the boy to be awake for this less he risk taking his soul by mistake, the Lord placed a hand on his forehead and used his magic to help him move towards consciousness. His eyes were fuzzy and unclear as they slowly opened before they became focused on the Dementor above him and an explosion of magic erupted from the boy.

The Dementor Lord was thrown back from the bed as the room exploded around him. He couldn't help but smile internally as he realized the chosen one was well chosen indeed. Moving back forward, he met Harry as he kneeled on his bed. One of the boy's hands found its way to his throat and gripped him tightly as he sought to restrain him, no doubt thinking to restrict his ability to perform the kiss. His other arm erupted in flame and reared back to strike but the dementor quickly restrained him with one of his own.

The pain he felt as he held Harry's arm was considerable, but the Dementor made no further move against him. He felt another presence just outside the room but it was of no consequence to the situation he found himself in so he merely erected a magical barrier between them and ignored it.

"No! I won't let you take her!" Harry screamed at the Dementor.

He remained impassive to Harry's yells and anger as he continued to restrain him. As he stared into the boys eyes he looked past the anger and received a brief image of a young woman, no doubt the one he was speaking of. Looking further he recognized the remnants of a dream and realized why the boy was so angry to see him.

Another wizard joined the one already at the door and the pair began attacking his shield but he continued to ignore them as he held Harry. Eventually he felt the fire begin to waver from the young mans arm as his magic relaxed and started to fall away. When it was completely extinguished he released Harry's arm and let his own fall to his side.

Harry reached up with his now free arm and gripped the creature's robes tightly as he felt his energy draining away. "Don't hurt her," he begged as he began to fall. "Please, not her."

Raising his arms, the Dementor helped him lie back down on the bed before placing his hands on either side of Harry's head. Slowly and carefully he began pushing some magic into his mind, making small modifications to the magic that already resided within him. 'Harry? Harry? Harry, can you understand me?'

Harry felt an odd calm flow over him as the Dementor helped him to lie back down. It was only as he begged for Tonks life that he began to realize he was no longer in the dream. As the Dementor held him a soft screeching began escaping from its mouth until Harry heard him ask if he could understand him.

"Yes. I can," Harry replied groggily.

'I am here to help you and to seek your help in return. I promise I will not hurt the one you love above all others.'

Seeing Harry nod he continued. 'Concentrate on her and do not let your thoughts stray to the present.'

Again Harry nodded and the Dementor Lord smiled internally as Harry's lips curved upward slightly at the thought of his love. Moving his attention to Harry's chest, he found their struggle had aggravated the injury which was now a bloody mess. After exhaling completely, the Dementor leaned forward towards the wound.

* * *

Aberforth was becoming frantic as he found himself unable to move past a barrier of some sort. All of his attempts at trying to discover what it was had failed. Chris arrived a moment later and the pair began firing redactor curses into the shield in an attempt to break it down. As their curses hit the barrier, it glowed blue for a second at the point of impact and seemed to absorb the magic. 

He watched Harry and the Dementor as he continued to try to break down the shield keeping him from his patient's side. His worry increased with each passing moment as Harry seemed to loose his strength and the Dementor placed him back on his bed. After a few more moments the Dementor let out his breath and began to lean down.

Frantic to prevent Harry from being kissed, Aberforth did the only thing he could think to do. "Expecto Patronum!"

A large silver bird erupted from his wand and flew towards the pair in the room passing effortlessly through the shield that separated them. A feeling of relief briefly passed though the old man before a look of shock appeared on his face and the dread returned as the Patronus was absorbed by the Dementor.

* * *

The White Dementor saw a silvery shape approach and enter him and felt his energy replenished with the absorption of the Patronus. Pausing for a moment, he looked towards the shocked wizard on the other side of his barrier and nodded in thanks before returning his attention to the wound on Harry's chest. Concentrating on the evil that was the killing curse, he began to inhale deeply. 

Harry felt an odd pull on his being as the sound of a shuddering breath reached his ears but did his best to ignore it instead concentrating on the girl he loved as he had been told to do. Visions of pink hair and a bubbly laughter that he found he missed so much passed through his mind as he felt the pull intensify. The room began to get fuzzy and a surreal feeling of floating passed through him as the pull became even stronger yet. For a few moments he thought he would loose himself to the pull until visions of the kiss Tonks had given him at the behest of his Godfather impinged upon his consciousness and he found himself firmly rooted back in reality. A few moments later the sound of the rattling breath faded away and Harry looked to the Dementor to find a tired but satisfied look on his face.

'It is done.'

Looking down, Harry stared gob smacked at his entirely healed chest. The skin was clean and smooth without even the tiniest mark to show where the killing curses had injured him. A moment later he was joined by two very excited wizards as the Dementor let its barrier drop.

"Mr. Potter?" the old man asked.

Harry looked up at the old wizard curiously for a minute. At first he had thought it was his Headmaster but quickly realized that this man wasn't as powerful as Albus Dumbledore would have been. He wasn't sure how he knew that though. "You look like my Headmaster but your not are you?" Harry said after nodding in answer to Aberforth's question.

"No," Aberforth responded smiling brightly. "I am a relation though, allow me to introduce myself. I am Aberforth Dumbledore, Albus brother."

Harry looked slightly shocked at the introduction and quickly became worried. "Is he here?"

Aberforth let a soft chuckle escape. "No Harry, in fact he has no idea where you are. We thought it best with everything going on to keep your whereabouts and condition a secret."

Letting out a breath he had been holding, Harry held out his hand. "Thanks, it's nice to meet you sir."

At his words, Harry noticed the other wizard let out a snort as Aberforth started shaking his head. "Why is it that everyone always calls me sir or director or some other such nonsense."

"Excuse me?" asked a confused Harry.

"I'm sorry Harry, I abhor titles of all kinds and would much prefer it if you would call me Aberforth." Deciding introductions were in order, he pulled the other wizard forward. "Allow me to introduce the other man who has been helping to take care of you, Chris Baker."

"Nice to meet you Harry," Chris said shaking the young mans hand.

"You as well. So where am I?"

Aberforth and Chris explained everything as they knew it to Harry and gave him a thorough examination finding him completely healed. After giving him some clothes to wear, the three made their way up to Aberforth's office. The Dementor floated quietly off to one side the entire time but followed along behind when the three left.

Arriving in the Director's office, Harry turned to the Dementor. "Thank you for helping me."

'It was my pleasure,' the Dementor Lord said with a bow.

"You can understand it?" Chris asked as he watched the exchange.

Harry looked at him curiously. "Yeah, I can," he said before turning his attention back to the Dementor. "How is it that I can do that?"

'I needed to be able to speak with you so that I could heal your wounds without accidentally taking your soul. To accomplish this I gave you my people's ability to sense magic.'

"I can sense magic now?" Harry muttered to himself realizing that was what had happened when he looked at Aberforth and knew it wasn't Albus. "Like Jake."

The Dementor bowed deeply and a visible smile appeared on its features. 'Yes, the lost line, the bound one. It is he who I seek, he who can lift the curse.'

Harry looked at the Dementor for several minutes, examining his magic and weighing his options. "I owe you my life," he eventually said. "I'll let you past the wards to see him if you give me your magical oath no harm will come to anyone inside the wards."

'You owe me nothing Harry. You are protected by fate.' The Dementor bowed again and a wave of magic swept through the room. Though no additional words were spoken, Harry could feel in the magic that the Dementor was now magically bound as he had asked.

Before he was able to ask about the magic, two young women came running into the office stopping just short of where he was standing.

"Harry!" one of them exclaimed before she jumped forward and engulfed him in a big hug.

A moment later she stepped back blushing furiously. "Err, sorry…"

The other girl was snickering softly. "Nice one Sarah."

Harry smiled back and nodded realizing these must be the women Aberforth and Chris had told him about. The ones who had rescued him from the muggle hospital and visited him regularly while he was being healed.

"No worries," he said still grinning at the embarrassed girl. "Thanks for helping me by the way."

As the moment passed Samantha noticed the Dementor floating nearby and stiffened at the sight of it.

"It's ok," Harry said as he stepped forward to calm her down, "he helped me."

Samantha looked back and forth between Harry and the Dementor several times before swallowing heavily and nodding in understanding.

"What are you guys talking about?" Sarah finally asked. Being non-magical she was unable to see the Dementor floating nearby.

Harry was about to explain when there was a flash of flame in the air above him and Fawkes appeared. The girls screamed at the unexpected appearance and jumped back but Harry smiled happily at the sight of the phoenix.

"Hello Fawkes."

'Greetings young one,' Fawkes trilled in response startling Harry as he realized he could understand him.

Turning towards the Dementor he had a curious expression on his face. "I can understand Phoenix now too?"

'Yes, as part of understanding us you are able to understand them. There is a reason for this but I believe explanations will have to wait for another time.'

Harry's attention was pulled back to Fawkes as the Phoenix flew in front of him and offered him a pair of wands. 'We have little time young one, you will need these.'

Accepting the pair of wands, Harry marveled at their beauty and familiarity though he couldn't seem to remember having ever seen them before.

Seeing the question in his eyes, Fawkes began trilling. 'These belonged to your parents.'

Harry felt himself choke up at Fawkes words and his grip tightened on his parent's wands. "Thanks Fawkes."

Fawkes bowed briefly before flying slightly higher and offering Harry his tail feathers. 'Take hold young one, Diagon Alley is under attack and your family needs your help.'

Grabbing Fawkes tail feathers, Harry looked around the office as he was lifted from the ground. "Thank you," he said genuinely before disappearing in a burst of flame.

After Harry disappeared, the White Dementor gave a low bow and floated out of the office intent on following the pull of the chosen one to his people's salvation.

* * *

Tonks, Jake and Bill listened to Harry's tale in amazement as they shared the pizza Bill had brought. There were tear streaks running down Tonks cheeks where she had cried several times during the incredible story and Jake and Bill seemed in awe of what they had heard. 

"So there's a Dementor out there looking for Jake?" Bill eventually asked.

Harry nodded. "But like I said, he can't hurt anyone here."

Jake nodded. It appeared as if he would be getting even more questions about his magic answered in a couple weeks time. After thinking things through for several minutes he turned towards Harry with a mischievous grin that immediately put Harry on the alert.

"So, all this time we've been worrying about you and you've been hanging out with a couple girls, huh Harry?"

Harry's eyebrows shot up on his forehead and he began to stutter as he looked back and forth between Jake and Tonks who was attached firmly to his side.

"Oh bugger Jake, leave him alone. It's not his fault he was being preyed upon by girls while he slept." Turning towards Harry she tightened her grip on his arm and smiled up at him. "Is my poor defenseless little Harry being hunted by nasty old girls?"

Harry rolled his eyes as the room broke down into laughter at his expense. Eventually the laughter calmed down and Harry told them what he had learned about the Death Eaters who would be in Hogwarts this year. The four kicked around various ideas but finally decided the only way they would get them all would be if they were together in one place which meant they would have to deal with them when the new term started.

As night fell, the group began to break up with Bill being the first to leave followed closely by Jake. Harry and Tonks continued to talk for a long while until it was almost midnight at which point Tonks took some clothes and left for the restroom while Harry stripped down to his boxers and climbed into bed.

Hearing the door to his room open and close, Harry looked up to find Tonks walking towards him in a long silk robe. She stopped just short of the bed and stared at the clock on the nightstand for a couple minutes. Looking at the clock, Harry saw it turn to midnight before he heard Tonks call his name.

"Harry?" she said pulling his attention to her.

Looking up, Harry was about to respond when she pushed the robe off her shoulders and let it fall to the ground revealing that she was wearing nothing underneath. His mouth became parched and he licked his lips hungrily as he took in the sight of the beautiful woman before him before she crawled into bed with him.

"Happy Birthday Harry," she said lovingly as she leaned down from where she was lying on top of him to give him a mind numbing kiss.


	14. Azkaban

**Chapter 14 – Azkaban**

Tonks woke the next morning to the sensation of fingers gently running up and down her back and a large smile to match the way she was feeling inside lit up her face as a contented purr escaped her lips.

"Morning love," Harry whispered as he felt her stir.

"Mmmm morning Harry."

After a few more minutes, Tonks let out a moan of disproval as Harry stopped moving his hands. Chuckling softly, Harry began brushing the hair out of her face.

"Not that I want to but we should probably get up."

"No," Tonks whined not wanting to do anything of the sort. "You never took my clothes or snuggled with me to keep me in bed so you owe me."

Harry couldn't help but laugh at the puppy dog eyes she shot at him as she spoke.

"I know but any minute now Jake…" Harry's words trailed off as a loud pounding on the door caused Tonks to groan in frustration.

"Come on you two, put some clothes on and let me in!" Jake roared in a teasing tone from the other side of the closed door.

"NO!" Tonks yelled back.

Harry and Tonks snickered as the absolute quiet on the other side of the door let them know that her simple comment had left Jake speechless. It was almost a full minute later they heard him yell a response.

"Awe, now see what you've done, that image has completely put me off my breakfast."

After letting out another groan, Tonks gave Harry a quick kiss and climbed out of bed. After enjoying the view for a few moments, Harry followed along and they both quickly got dressed.

As Harry finished pulling his shirt on, Tonks opened the door to let Jake in.

"So," Jake began as he looked back and forth between the pair, "am I gonna be an uncle?"

Tonks crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "Yeah Jake, Harry and I are creating the next generation of changeling superheros to fight Voldy."

Harry let out a snicker and soon they were all laughing heartily at the thought. Eventually they all calmed down and returned to their routine beginning with a long hard workout. By the end of the session, Harry was pretty sure that it was Jake's intention to make him pay for all the workouts he had missed.

The next week and a half passed quickly and quietly filled with workouts and practicing magic. They had expected Voldemort to stage another large attack quickly to demonstrate to the world that his defeat at Diagon Alley had simply been a fluke but much to their surprise there had been nothing. Not a single attack had taken place.

Now that their feelings were out in the open, Harry and Tonks relationship grew in leaps and bounds and the pair were almost never apart. Jake could see in their eyes the love they had for each other and was extremely happy for them but he could also see a glint of worry in Tonks gaze when Harry wasn't aware she was watching him. He was concerned about the look, about what it might mean, but didn't know what to do about it.

* * *

Ginny smiled as she entered the Burrow's kitchen to find her mum putting the finishing touches on a large chocolate cake. 

"Mum," Ginny said taking in a deep breath, "that smells wonderful!"

Molly smiled lovingly at her only daughter. She was thrilled to see her out and about and even happier to see the smile that graced her lips. Ginny had spent much of the summer locked up in her room and it pained Molly that she wouldn't talk with her about what was wrong. She could only assume that Ginny was upset and worried about Harry.

"Thank you dear. I made your favorite for your birthday."

Leaning forward as if to inspect the cake, Ginny quickly ran a finger across its side and stuck it in her mouth.

"Ginny Weasley!" Molly cried but couldn't help but chuckle and shake her head at her daughter's antics.

"Thanks mum," Ginny said with a grin as she licked the incredible tasting chocolate icing from her index finger. "Do you need help with anything?"

"No thank you dear. It's your birthday, why don't you run along and enjoy the day. I've got everything under control here."

After giving her mum a hug, Ginny headed back towards the living room and up the stairs. Closing the door behind her, Ginny crossed her room to sit at her desk. She was about to start a letter to Hermione when a black raven flew in the open window and deposited a dark green envelope on the desk in front of her. After dropping the letter, the bird gave a loud squawk and flew back out the window.

Her stomach dropped and she felt a lump form in her throat as she spied her name on the front of the letter. It wasn't her name that caused her to fall back into her depression but the familiar script in which it was written, a script she remembered all to well from her first year at Hogwarts.

With shaking hands she carefully opened the envelope and removed a small piece of parchment from within its depths. Tears that had been threatening to fall poured down her cheeks as she read the painfully short note and the events that had taken place earlier in the summer came rushing back. As she finished reading the letter, it burst into flame along with the envelope it had been delivered in.

* * *

"Give it up Charlie, you can't seriously think dragons are that smart," Bill said shaking his head. 

"Damn straight!"

"Awe come on! There is no way you can teach a dragon to play chess. The fact that their too damn big and mean for something like that aside, you already told me you couldn't get them to play checkers so how the hell do you think they can play chess?"

Charlie continued to grin as he argued with Bill while they walked through Hogsmeade shopping for their little sister's birthday. The argument about dragon's intelligence was an old one between the pair and most of what he was throwing out was B.S. but they loved arguing about it all the same.

"Well we play with a slightly bigger set than normal and Dragons aren't mean, their just misunderstood. Ask Hagrid! And I think they refused to play checkers because they were insulted by the games simplicity."

Bill let out a loud snort and was about to respond when he felt the mail ward that he had set for Ginny trigger. He had keyed to ward to all her friends but someone not on the list had just sent her a letter.

Alarmed at who it might be, Bill's face became serious as he shoved his packages towards his brother and drew his wand.

"Sorry Charlie, something's just come up."

"What? But I thought…"

Charlie's words trailed off as Bill Disapparated without even listening to what he was saying. He stared at the spot Bill had disappeared from for several minutes trying to figure out what had gotten him so worked up so quickly but was unable to imagine anything that would have that effect on his older brother. Knowing he would have to talk to him later, Charlie fumbled with the armload of presents eventually managing to draw his wand. After taking another quick glance at the empty spot Bill had occupied a few minutes before, Charlie headed for the Burrow.

* * *

Bill appeared in the garden behind the Burrow and ran towards the back door. It was hard for him to do, but he forced himself to calm down and take a deep breath before he pushed open the door and walked into the kitchen as if he didn't have a care in the world. 

"Bill!" Molly said with a smile as she spied her oldest son. "I thought you were meeting Charlie?"

"Oh I did, but something came up I needed to deal with. I'm sure he'll be along shortly," Bill said as he continued through the kitchen. He was fairly certain she wanted to question him further but he managed to make it to the living room before she had a chance.

The moment he was out of sight he sprinted up the stairs skipping every other one as he rushed to find Ginny, praying all the while the letter wasn't what he thought it was. His hopes were dashed as he approached her door and heard crying coming from the other side.

"Oh Gin…" he said softly as he took a deep breath and reached for the knob.

After stepping inside the room, Bill closed the door behind him and quickly crossed the small room to where Ginny was sitting on her desk chair crying. Her knees were pulled up against her chest with her arms wrapped around them as the tears streamed down her cheeks. The anguish on her face broke his heart as she looked up at him and he quickly pulled her up from her seat and wrapped his arms tightly around her.

"Shhh… It's ok Sprout… I'm here… Everything's going to be ok…" he whispered as she sobbed against him.

Guiding Ginny over to the bed, he took a seat and pulled her down on his lap as he continued to comfort her. Eventually she calmed down and pulled away.

"Thanks Bill," she said wiping the tears from her eyes. She was desperately trying to figure out how to explain her latest bout of depression to her brother when he took the option away from her.

"What did the letter say?"

"What!" she blurted out as her heart rate shot up and her eyes popped open in surprise.

"The letter from Voldemort. What did he write?" Bill asked. Though she hadn't actually confirmed who the letter was from, the state he had found her in had told him everything.

Ginny felt like she was going to be sick. 'Oh god… Bill… My family…' she thought.

Bill saw the look of panic on Ginny's face and knew what she was worried about. Moving her from his lap to the bed next to him, he turned to face her and took her hands in his.

"Ginny, calm down, it's ok."

Almost to the point of hyperventilation, Ginny's eyes began to water again as she slowly shook her head no.

As much as he didn't want to bring up what happened, he felt he had no choice. He had to get through to her. He had to know what was in that letter.

"I know what happened in Hogsmeade. I know about the mark. I know it's not your fault and that your doing everything you can to protect us, to protect me."

"How?" she finally asked in barely a whisper.

Bill smiled warmly. "You wrote a letter to Harry."

Ginny shook her head again. "No. I didn't. I wouldn't."

Bill nodded continuing to smile. "You did. You explained everything. You brought it to me and asked me to Obliviate it from your memory and take it to Harry."

"He must hate me…" she said softly looking down. She was forced to look up into Bill's concerned face as he lifted up her chin.

"No Sprout, he doesn't. He cares a lot about you and is mighty pissed off at Voldemort right now."

"You've seen him?"

Bill nodded. "I'm working with him, Tonks and Jake, of course that's a secret. I'm staying here to look out for you and I'll be teaching at Hogwarts this year too."

Ginny smiled. It was a weak smile at best, but she did feel a bit better. She should have known Bill would take care of her. She was pulled from her musings as Bill asked his question again.

"I need to know what was in the letter Ginny."

Ginny nodded. "He wished me a happy birthday and reminded me that I… that I belong to him," she said with a shudder as another tear leaked from her eye.

"That's everything?"

Ginny nodded again.

"I promise we'll fix this Sprout," Bill said pulling his sister into another hug. "I promise."

Feeling Ginny nod against his chest, Bill squeezed her a little bit tighter before pulling back to look her in the eye. "I should probably Obliviate you but I won't if you don't want me too."

Wiping away her tears, Ginny shook her head. "No, I shouldn't know any of this."

Bill nodded. "Do you want me to get rid of the memory of the letter as well? I could make you think you just came up to take a nap. You'd probably feel a little upset because of the emotional ride you've been on but you wouldn't know why."

"Could you?" Ginny asked hopefully.

"Anything for you Sprout."

Ginny gave him another hug before lying down on her bed.

Standing up, Bill leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before pointing his wand at her. "Obliviate! You just came in your room to take a nap so you'd be rested for your party."

Ginny seemed to accept what she was told and closed her eyes. After casting a very mild sleeping charm on her so she wouldn't sleep too long, Bill placed another kiss on her forehead and left the room. His eyes opened wide as he opened the door to find Charlie standing in the hallway with an armload of presents and a look on his face that was a mixture of horror and anger, anger that seemed to be directed at him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing Bill!" Charlie hissed at his older brother.

Taking a quick look at Ginny to make sure she was still asleep, Bill shushed him and quietly closed the door. Turning back around, Bill grabbed Charlie by the arm and began pulling him towards his room. After leading him inside, Bill closed the door behind them. The moment he turned back around, Charlie knocked his wand from his hand and shoved him up against the door.

"Talk! What are you doing to Ginny? Why did you Obliviate her?"

"Calm down Charlie!" Bill said his own anger at Charlie's insinuation that he was harming their sister clear in his voice.

Charlie took several calming breaths and relaxed his grip on his brother. When he finally spoke again, his voice was almost pleading. "Please tell me you're helping her somehow."

"I'm trying to Charlie, I really am."

Releasing his hold on Bill's robes, Charlie moved back from the door and sat heavily in a worn armchair that sat in one corner of the room. He knew Bill would lay his life down for Ginny, for any of them for that matter and felt a bit of shame over the conclusion he had jumped to, that Bill was somehow harming Ginny, causing the melancholy she had been trapped in all summer.

"What's going on Bill?" Charlie finally asked once he had managed to regain control of himself.

Bill let out a pained sigh and picked up his wand. After warding the room, he grabbed his desk chair and took a seat across from his brother. "Please trust me when I say I can't tell you."

"Bill…" Charlie begged.

"I… I…" Bill turned his gaze away from his brother and ran his fingers nervously through his hair. He knew Charlie was only concerned for Ginny and he knew how he would feel in his brother's place.

"Please Bill. I need to know."

Swallowing heavily, Bill looked back up into Charlie's concerned filled eyes. "If I tell you, I'll have to Obliviate you."

Charlie looked shocked. "It's that bad?"

"Yes," Bill said nodding. "I should really erase your memory of me Obliviating Ginny."

"Can I help?"

"I don't know Charlie… I just don't know."

A long silence stretched out between the pair before Charlie finally broke it.

"Tell me."

Bill looked up to find a resolved look on Charlie's face. If he had to be Obliviated, then he had to be Obliviated. He was scared for his little sister and needed to know.

"Alright," Bill began. It took a bit of time, but Bill explained what had happened with Ginny and let him know he was working with Harry.

"Oh my god," Charlie said as a tear slid down his cheek. "Please let me help."

"I don't know Charlie, I'm not sure it's a good idea. If we all start following Ginny around and end up working at the school it'll look suspicious. It might just make things worse."

Charlie's eyes were dim and glistened with defeat as he made his decision and took a deep breath. "Then I guess you need to Obliviate me."

Bill nodded in understanding. "I'm sorry."

"Just promise me you'll fix this."

"I promise," Bill said before taking a deep breath and raising his wand. "Obliviate!"

Wiping away a tear of his own, Bill stood and replaced his chair at the desk before removing the wards he had put up earlier. Stashing his wand back in its holster, Bill pushed away his grief and waited until the glazed look faded from Charlie's eyes.

"Oi, Charlie!" Bill said doing his best to sound normal. "Why'd you dump Gin's presents in the hall you lummox?"

* * *

Harry had been greatly angered when Bill told the group about the note Voldemort had sent Ginny and again swore to make it right. In addition to being upset about Ginny, Bill had been bothered by the fact that he'd had to Obliviate Charlie but in the end the group decided he had done the right thing. The last thing they needed was for Voldemort to find out they knew about Ginny so the fewer people who knew the better, plus they now knew they had a willing ally in Charlie if they needed it. 

It was a few days after Ginny's birthday, almost two weeks since Harry had returned when the three blue phoenixes appeared in their usual flash of fire.

'The White Dementor approaches,' the phoenix that landed on Harry's shoulder trilled.

"What did he say?" Tonks asked as she gently stroked the bird perched on the arm of the chair she was sitting in.

"The white dementor I told you about is here."

"Then I guess we should invite him in," Jake said standing up from his seat. The phoenix, which had been resting on the back of his chair, moved to perch on Jakes shoulder as he stood.

Harry's phoenix trilled some more and after nodding his understanding, Harry raised his wand and muttered a spell.

"What was that?" Tonks asked as she stood to join them.

"I added him to the wards."

With another flick of his wand, the window was enlarged and thrown open and the three turned to face it. A minute later the white dementor floated into the room. After pausing to look at the three individuals and the familiar phoenix on their shoulders, the dementor turned to face Harry and bowed deeply.

'It does my soul good to see you again Harry.'

Harry smiled. "I don't think I properly thanked you for what you did for me in the hospital."

'No thanks are necessary. By simply being you, you have given me the biggest gift imaginable, the chance to atone for the mistakes of my past.'

"Well, still, thank you."

The dementor bowed again. 'You are quite welcome but I see your mate and the bound one are wondering what we are speaking of. With your permission I would give your mate my people's gift as I have done for you and free a bit more of the bound ones magic so that he may understand us as well.'

Harry blushed slightly at the reference to Tonks before turning towards his friends. "He wants to make it so you can understand him." Seeing Tonks was nervous he quickly added, "It's ok."

Trusting Harry completely, Tonks reached over and took hold of his hand before facing the dementor.

"Her names Tonks," Harry told him.

Just as he had done before with Harry, the white dementor placed a hand on each side of her head and pushed a small amount of his magic inside her, using it to modify what was already there. 'Tonks… Tonks…'

"I can hear you," she said curiously. "In my mind."

'It is the way my people communicate,' he said as he lowered his hands.

The dementor then moved in front of Jake but instead of placing his hands on Jake's head, he placed them on his chest. It took a bit longer and he seemed to use a lot more magic, but eventually he lowered his hands a backed up slightly.

After bowing deeply, the white dementor straightened up. 'It is an honor to meet the bound one, the lost line.'

"Jake," he said simply in reply.

'Again you honor me.'

"How come you didn't hold his head like you did with me and Tonks?" Harry asked curiously.

The dementor backed up a little bit further so that he could face all three. 'Jake is of the lost line, descended from my people. Therefore he already had the gift. He simply needed enough magic to use it fully. I have released a bit more of that which is already leaking into his system.'

"You released my magic?" Jake asked not entirely happy.

'Only a tiny amount more than it was. The majority is still bound as it has been for millennia.'

Taking a minute to look around, Jake realized what the dementor was saying was true and relaxed. He could sense the magic in the room a little bit better though the difference was negligible.

"So why are you here?" Jake asked, returning his attention to the dementor.

'I am here to tell a story and ask a favor. I am here to beg for my people.'

"Your people? Who are you?"

'I do apologize. It seems that years of being that which I abhor has caused me to loose my manners. My name is Talisan Blackthorn. I am the Lord of the Isle of Azkaban.'

A brief silence followed his proclamation before Jake decided to move the conversation forward. It was clear this being had answers for him. "It's nice to meet you Lord Blackthorn."

'Please, you would do me honor by calling me Talisan.'

Jake nodded. "Talisan, you weren't always this way? You were a human once?"

The white dementor sighed, his anguish echoing through the minds of the group before him. His past was something he wasn't proud of and it pained him to have to share his story.

'We have been as we are now for thousands of years. Our curse was brought upon us by our own arrogance and greed for power. I was the leader, it was my decision, my choice to proceed as we did and not a day has gone by that I haven't wished I had chosen differently.'

* * *

Talisan smiled as he strolled casually across the lush green hills of the Isle of Azkaban. He waved in greeting as he passed a group of his subjects who were headed the way he had just come. They carried towels and a basket of food, no doubt planning a fun filled day at the beach. 

Returning his gaze forward he crested a hill and his heart soared at the sight of his magnificent keep. The Castle Azkaban. It was a wondrous place made of pure white stone rising from the top of the tallest hill in the center of the isle. Its beautiful walls rose several stories from the native granite of the island. Tall spires were situated at each of the four corners from which the entire island could be seen even though it stretched for miles in every direction. While it had not been built to defend against an enemy, it served that very purpose for who would dare attack a people so magically strong and proud as to be able to raise such a structure.

He continued to greet his loyal subjects with handshakes and smiles as he made his way through one of the many groups of houses that dotted the island on his way towards his home. Sensing an object approaching at speed, he quickly raised a hand and froze the ball in mid air in front of him. A moment later and small child skidded to a halt at his feet.

"S… sorry sir," the small blond haired boy stuttered, his eyes opening wide as he recognized his Lord.

Talisan grinned in amusement. "It seems to have gotten away from you Richard." He took great pride in the fact that he knew everyone on the island by name.

The boy smiled shyly and started to reach for the ball when if floated higher, just out of his reach.

"Ah ah… summon it," Talisan said as he levitated it higher still.

Richard nodded again and raised both hands in front of him.

"No, one hand please."

A look of sadness appeared on Richards face. "But I've always needed two. I'm sorry. I can't."

"You can!" Talisan said with certainty. "Magic really is a very simple thing. You have the power, you only need to believe."

Richard nodded and lowered one hand. Concentrating on the floating ball, he strained to push his magic towards it, to wrap it around the ball and will it to come back to him.

Talisan could see the boy's magic stretch out towards the ball but it was clear as he watched it that Richard would not be successful. Knowing the boy just needed a small push to gain the confidence he currently lacked, he used his own magic to help him along. A moment later the ball flew through the air and was caught by a grinning Richard.

"I did it!" he said excitedly.

"I never had any doubts," Talisan replied. Stepping forward he took the ball and banished it out of view beyond the next hill. "Again."

Richard nodded and raised a single hand in the air. A moment later the ball came flying back to his waiting arms. Grinning widely he looked up to find Talisan smiling proudly down at him.

"You're a brilliant young mage Master Richard. I expect great things from you."

Richard blushed at his praise and after Talisan patted him on the head, he ran off to continue playing with his friends. His people were strong with magic and while other sects of wizards had begun using wands, his people refused. Wands were a focus that made one complacent and lazy, eventually weakening the magic that resided within the individual as they became reliant on them for even the simplest task.

Returning to his course, Talisan finally made his way to the keep and entered the large wooden doors that protected its entrance. His eyes scanned the majestic hall as he entered, taking in the incredible sight of the highly polished marble and opulent fixtures that adorned the massive entry way.

Making his way through the many passages and corridors, he finally entered a large room where his highest and most trusted advisors awaited his presence.

"Is everything ready?" he asked as he took his seat at the end of the table.

"My Lord," Corin Lambard his primary advisor and second in command said as he stood, "All of the preparations have been made. We are ready to proceed when you give the word."

"Excellent. This day will mark…" Talisan's words trailed off as his best friend Jonathan stood and faced him.

"I beg you not to do this."

Talisan sighed. "I understand your concerns but…" Again he was interrupted.

"No! This is not right! A power such as this was never meant to be controlled by man. We have a wonderful life here, a beautiful island paradise and more comfort and wealth than any should ever dare to dream of. We hold more than enough power as we are and have no need of more. Your quest will end with the ruin of us all."

"Enough!" Talisan roared as he stood from his seat. A visible aura of power shimmered around him as he glared angrily at his friend. "You have voiced your opinions on this matter enough. We _will_ proceed along the path I have set."

Jonathan stared unbelievingly back at his friend. He had always been kind and caring, spreading love and peace among his people but something had changed. He had recently become obsessed with obtaining a power that went beyond magic, a power that delved into the realm of fate, a power that Jonathan knew in his heart should never be tampered with.

"Then I'm afraid you leave me little choice my friend," Jonathan said somberly. He could feel his heart breaking as he chose his course. "I will have no part of this. I am leaving."

Talisan was shocked. "Please my friend, reconsider. You know what it means to leave our sect."

"Yes I do, and I would gladly suffer my fate a thousand times over if only you would see reason and cease this madness."

Talisan slumped down into his chair placing his face in his hands with his elbows resting on the edge of the table. "And what of your wife?" he asked.

"She is waiting outside. She will go with me."

The Lord's head shot up at his words but he calmed as Jonathan raised his hands in supplication. "No, she does not know what you have planned, only that I am set against it. She knows what we may face but believes me when I tell her it is the right thing to do."

After staring at his childhood friend for a long while, Talisan nodded in defeat. "Very well, it is clear that I will be unable to change your mind. Bring her in and we will perform the binding."

* * *

"Your friend… my relative," Jake said as he looked at the Dementor Lord. 

The dementor nodded. 'He stood against me. He could see clearly what I could not and in my arrogance I refused to listen.'

"So you bound my… my families magic?" Jake asked. Having been alone all his life, the word 'family' taken in the context of blood relations seemed almost alien to him.

'No, but I ordered it, I witnessed it, I caused it. The fate of any who left was that their magic would be bound, but the binding was not as simple as preventing the individual from using magic, it also bound the magic for all those that followed, for the entire line.'

Jake nodded in understanding.

'And so with my friend and his wife bound and expelled from the island we set about to ensure our future position within the world. Unfortunately the future we ended up with was quite the opposite of what we thought it would be.'

* * *

Stepping off the final stair, Talisan found himself on the lowest level of the castle. With his entourage following close behind, he made his way to the far end of a long corridor and placing his hand on the wall muttered an incantation. With a low rumble, the solid stone at the end of the corridor slid upwards and the Lord preceded his advisors through the newly extended hallway into a large cavernous room. 

The room was round and about twenty meters across. The walls were unfinished stone that rose upwards for a bit before sloping inward to form a dome above the room. In sharp contrast to the native stone of the ceiling, the floor was a highly polished white marble. In the center of the room sat a low dais of the deepest black.

"Yes, this will do nicely," Talisan muttered as he walked around the room paying particular attention to the dais in the middle. "Yes… opposites… opposing poles…"

After a few more minutes, Talisan gave a nod and the thirteen men accompanying him took positions forming a circle around the room. As soon as everyone was in position, Talisan climbed on top of the black stone and stood in its center.

Raising their hands towards their Lord, the men began chanting. The dais split in half, the top portion floating upward until it hovered one meter above its bottom. When the stone was in position, one of the mages stepped forward and cast a spell to hollow out what would be a perfect sphere a half meter across inside the dais when the top half of the stone was lowered again.

Finding himself in position with everything ready to proceed, Talisan Raised his hands above his head and concentrated on the effect he wanted.

Time passed slowly and sweat was pouring down his face as he willed his magic to do as he wished and slowly a small flame began to form above him. His body was strained to it's limits and beyond as he continued to work the spell, the fire growing larger and larger with each passing second until finally it burst forward and a painful trill echoed through the cavern as a phoenix appeared above him.

The moment the bird appeared, the mages in the circle raised their hands and a sphere of energy surrounded the bird.

After a curious look around, the phoenix trilled angrily and turned to fire as if to flash away. The shield glowed red as it was filled with flame until the flame passed to reveal the phoenix was still inside.

Furious trills echoed through the room as the bird threw itself against the barrier unable to escape its confines. Working together, the mages slowly shrunk and lowered the sphere of energy until it was positioned underneath their lord between the two haves of the obsidian dais.

With the bird in place, Talisan slowly lowered the stone until the two halves were once again connected. With their task complete, the mages let their magic fall away and shared a smile as they breathed heavily, their bodies exhausted from exerting so much magic.

* * *

"You caught a phoenix!" Harry said in horror as he looked back and forth between the beautiful blue bird perched on his shoulder and the white dementor. 

The Lord nodded as his body slumped and he seemed to age before their eyes. 'Yes. I forced the phoenix from its plain of existence, trapped it in a shield of my own design and sealed it inside the dais.'

He had been looking down when he spoke, clearly ashamed of his deed, but he raised his head and looked at the appalled group as he continued. 'We then paid the price for our sacrilege.'

* * *

As the mages recovered from their exhausting ritual, three bursts of flame appeared in the air above them. They were shocked at the appearance of the three which were unlike any they had ever seen or heard of. 

The blue phoenix circled the room, trills of anger and outrage echoing through the chamber as they flew faster and faster until a deafening concussion rocked the chamber and castle above. Talisan screamed out in pain and anguish as he felt his body lift into the air to hover just above the dais and his entire being began to twist and change.

His skin became grayish and slimy, the features of his face becoming twisted, leaving behind sightless eyes and gaping jaws he would eventually realize could be used to remove souls from his victims. The temperature of the room seemed to drop as the Lord absorbed the black from the stone of the dais above which he hovered leaving the purest white stone behind.

The newly born Dementor Lord shuddered and sunk back in fear and pain from the now white stone of the platform he had so recently been performing the ritual on and the three blue phoenix that now hovered in front of him. As he shuddered in agony, pressing himself back against the wall of the chamber, he noticed his advisors bodies lying unconscious on the floor around the dais.

He couldn't see in the normal sense as his eyes no longer seemed to function, but he could feel the bodies and the magic of his friends around him. It seemed he had retained his peoples sense of magic and it even seemed to have been heightened somewhat though he realized that may have been an illusion as he was now much more reliant on it than he had been before.

As the dementor continued to examine the room, he notice the white of the floor, though to him 'light' seemed a more appropriate term, was shrinking inward leaving darkness behind as it was sucked into the dais which was now practically glowing with light magic. As the darkness touched the men lying on the floor, their faces contorted in a silent scream. Feeling their anguish he started to move to investigate but before he could a voice echoed through the chamber the sound of which caused another wave of pain to flow over him. Turning his senses towards the voice, he realized he could now understand the phoenixes which were all perched on the dais.

'A great offense has been committed here, a crime against nature, against magic, against the very light which you used to serve. You bound a creature of light in darkness and though we can not go against fate and release him, we are not completely helpless in this matter. We have changed his cage to one of light and in doing so have placed you in the prison of darkness you created.'

With a final trill that echoed of sadness, the three phoenix flew up from their perches and disappeared in a burst of flame.

* * *

'Violent earth quakes rocked the island sending most of what was once a beautiful paradise to the depths of the ocean leaving only a small pile of rock behind. The castle that had once been a crowning achievement of my people turned dark and gloomy as all happiness and hope seemed to flee from what little remained of the island.' 

'Most of my people were killed in the violence of the upheaval with only those that managed to take shelter in the castle surviving. My advisors were changed over the next few days and were eventually followed by all that remained.'

Silence reigned as the group took in Talisan's story. They were appalled at what he had done, but couldn't help but feel sadness as they absorbed the plight of his people. Eventually the silence was broken but it wasn't the dementor, Harry or his friends who did it, it was the phoenix perched on Harry's shoulder who finally spoke.

'For a thousand years they were left to suffer their fate, forced to live in a prison of their own design but their sadness weighed heavily upon us, continually felt by our trapped brother and as we came to forgive we sought out fate and begged her to release them from their hell. In time we were successful and a prophecy was issued.'

Harry shuddered visibly at the thought of the prophecy. Living under his own, he was all too well aware the effects they could have. Seeing his concern, Tonks scooted closer and wrapped a comforting arm around him, smiling as he leaned into her loving embrace.

'The lost line, the bound one, the cursed ones only hope.  
Cast aside, removed from sight, unable to be found.  
But friends of fate are allies of the line,  
The Chosen One will lead the way.  
The lost line, the bound one,  
The choice lies with those who were forsaken.'

As the phoenix finished his recital, he couldn't help but chuckle at the look of relief on Harry's face as he turned towards Jake wearing a large grin.

"Looks like this one's all on you Jake."

Jake couldn't help but let out a snort and shake his head. "It appears that way doesn't it?" Turning towards the dementor he continued. "So, I'm the bound one, you're the cursed ones, Harry led you to me and I can fix it all."

'In short, yes,' Talisan replied. 'But the prophecy only states that you have the choice, not that you will free us.'

A look of foreboding appeared on Jakes face. "I'm guessing there's a reason I might not want to do that?"

Talisan sighed before taking a deep breath. 'I have the unique ability to release the magic bound within you. With that magic you would be able to break the shield and free the phoenix trapped within but in doing so you would loose that magic including the mage sight you have enjoyed all your life.'

"Interesting," Jake said.

'Fate is a quirky mistress and it seems that when Jonathan stated he would gladly suffer his fate a thousand times over she took it to heart and made it the price.'

Jake gave a smile to Harry and Tonks before returning his attention to Talisan. "Alright, I'll do it."

The dementor seemed shocked that he would agree so quickly. 'You would give up your magic for a people you have never known? A people who have caused nothing but misery and pain to all they have come across for so long?'

Jake simply shrugged. "It's the right thing to do."

The phoenix looked as if he had expected no less and Harry and Tonks looked proud of their friend. Talisan couldn't believe what he was hearing but his heart swelled at the thought of what Jake was willing to do for his people. It had been a long time, but he felt like he had finally gotten his friend back.

"You look tired," Jake observed. "We could see about getting Dumbledore to free my magic, he did offer once before."

'He would be unsuccessful. Only I am capable of what must be done.'

With a nod Jake steadied himself for whatever was about to happen. He was only a little bit surprised when the phoenix on his shoulder flew to rest on the chair he had been sitting in as the dementor approached.

Placing his hands on Jakes chest, Talisan closed his eyes and began pushing what remained of his magic forward, attacking the block that had been in place since that fateful day.

A brief sensation of pain flared up within the center of Jake's chest as Talisan's magic began tearing at the block but it quickly faded away as the phoenix began to trill a soothing song. As he watched the dementor work, he noticed its form seemed to waver slightly, becoming more and more transparent until the block was finally gone. Pulling back slightly, Talisan surveyed his newest friends a final time.

'Farewell my friends,' he said giving them a large smile as he continued to fade from existence. 'Thank you for saving my people, for saving me.'

A moment later he was gone.

A lengthy silence extended among the group as they stared at the spot that Talisan had vanished from. Eventually the intensity of the moment seemed to pass and Tonks turned to look at Jake.

"You ok?" she asked with concern.

Jake seemed to concentrate first on himself and then the surrounding area before nodding. "Mmhmm. Everything seems a little bit brighter, clearer that it did before."

"What do you want to do?" Harry asked.

"Well, it's pretty late and I'm actually kinda tired," he said letting out a yawn. "Why don't we visit Azkaban tomorrow and see what we can do for them."

"Sounds good," Harry replied. "We need to take a look around the island for the Horcrux you felt anyway. Maybe they can help us find it after you help them."

With everyone in agreement, the phoenix found perches around the room and everyone settled in for the night.

* * *

The next morning dawned bright and early and after Jake spent a few minutes giving Harry and Tonks a hard time about sleeping together, they all shared a filling breakfast. 

"So what do we do about the Aurors when we get there?" Harry asked Tonks figuring the former Auror would know the answer.

Tonks smiled. "No need to worry about that. The Aurors are only stationed on the mainland docks, not the island."

"Really?"

"Yup. Would you want to hang out with the dementors all the time without that tattoo?"

Harry shuddered at the thought. "I see your point. How are we going to get there?"

'We will carry you,' the phoenix responded.

"Thank you."

Giving Harry a nod, the phoenix lifted off its perch and lowered its tail feathers for Harry to take hold of. His brothers followed suit and a moment later Harry's room was empty as the group disappeared in a flash of flame.

* * *

A cold chill permeated the air and the waves beat mercilessly upon the cold grey stone, working in a never ending effort to drag what was left of the island into the sea with the rest. Cloaked figures floating silently about the Castle Azkaban on their rounds were suddenly interrupted from their duties as three figures appeared with phoenixes in the entrance hall. 

Harry felt the tattoo on his arm tingle with magic as he appeared and said a silent thanks as he looked up to find several dementors floating nearby yet felt no affects from their presence. As the group looked around, their mage sight painted a confusing picture of the island. They could sense the despair as the dementors moved about but also happiness buried deep below. What Jake did not expect and what confused him the most was that he could sense no trace of the Horcrux he was certain was here.

"Now what?" Harry whispered to his companions as he stood staring at the unmoving creatures in front of them.

'Patience young one. The new Lord will be along momentarily.'

As if summoned by the bird's words, a dementor floated down a nearby stair, coming to a stop in front of the group.

'I've been expecting you,' the Dementor Lord began. 'I am Corin Lambard, the current Lord of the Dementors and Azkaban Island such as it is.'

Turning his attention to Jake he continued. 'It appears you have met my predecessor Talisan, and that he was successful in restoring your magic.'

Jake nodded. "He was. Where's the chamber?"

The fact that Jake was not happy with what they had done was clear to Corin. Deciding it would be best to not say anything he simply turned and began leading them through the castle, down to the lowest part where the chamber was hidden. As they reached the secret entrance, Corin activated the spell and entered the room staying as far from the dais as possible.

Harry, Tonks and Jake wandered around the room examining the altar closely. They could sense the magic of the phoenix and shield inside but didn't know what to do.

'The stone needs to be removed first,' one of the phoenix trilled.

"How?" Harry asked.

'A simple blasting hex will do,' Corin answered.

Nodding in understanding, everyone moved back to a position just inside the hallway and Harry and Tonks raised their wands.

The rock of the island shuddered as the explosion ripped through the cavern. With another wave of Tonks wand, the dust in the air cleared once again revealing the large cavern.

The floor was littered with the debris of the dais and in the middle floated a sphere of energy about a half meter across. Inside the sphere a red phoenix looked on curiously though the group could feel the happiness and excitement he was exuding as his imprisonment neared its end.

Entering the room, the group once again began examining the magic.

'You need to focus all of your magic into a single point and push it through the barrier. Only the tiniest breach is needed for the phoenix to escape, but it will take everything you have to create it.'

Jake glanced at the dementor who had not left the hallway and nodded but made no move to do as he was asked. Instead, he continued to examine the sphere.

Five minutes passed and then ten before Jake turned back to the dementor. "The sphere was bigger and you shrank it before placing it in the stone."

The dementor gave a nod of his head. 'That is correct.'

"How did you shrink it?"

'We used our magic to apply pressure to the outside of the sphere. The trick was to keep the pressure even across the entire surface.'

Jake nodded in understanding before returning his attention to the sphere.

"Tonks?"

"Yes," she answered looking at Jake whose eyes did not leave the sphere.

"Is it possible to summon energy?"

"I don't know. What are you thinking?"

Jake finally turned to find Tonks and Harry looking at him with curious expressions. "I'm wondering if you and Harry stood across from each other and both summoned one side of the sphere if you could stretch it back out."

"I'm not sure, maybe. Why would you want to?"

A grin crept up on Jake's face. "Simple physics. I'm thinking that if you stretch something it becomes thinner as its surface area increases."

An identical grin crept up on Tonks face. "And if the shield was thinner it wouldn't take as much magic to penetrate it. You could keep your sight!"

Jake nodded and grinned wider as he noticed Harry was now sporting a large smile as well.

"Would that be going against fate?" Jake asked the blue phoenix. "Talisan did say fate made my magic the price."

'No it would not. Talisan knew how much magic it would take to breach the shield as it is and knowing it would take exactly the amount you have, he formed a supposition about fates motives. But you are very wise to consider such things.'

Tonks snorted loudly at the phoenix words. "Jake wise? Now I've seen everything."

Harry couldn't help himself and broke down laughing and the hurt look on Jakes face. He wasn't worried as the humor showing in Jakes eyes revealed that he found her comment hilarious as well.

"Now I'm hurt Tonks, I'm very wise!" Jake said striking a dashing pose. "Damn handsome as well!"

Harry and Tonks continued to laugh as were the phoenix as they took positions on opposite sides of the sphere and drew their wands.

"Ready?" Harry asked Tonks.

"Ready."

"Ready?" he asked Jake.

"Ready," Jake said with a nod.

Focusing on the side of the sphere closest to each of them, Harry and Tonks began their spells. At first nothing happened as the pair slowly increased the amount of magic they were putting into their charms. Sweat began to form on their faces and the sphere began to move back and forth slightly as their power increased to a point where it was difficult to control the balance but the size of the sphere remained unchanged.

"Hold it!" Jake finally said.

Very carefully, Harry and Tonks lowered their power levels until the spells ended. Both were breathing heavily from the exertion of the casting.

"Nothing," Harry said shaking his head.

"It wanted to stretch but we needed a bit more power," Jake said.

Tonks wiped the sweat from her forehead. "I was maxed out."

"Yeah, but Harry wasn't," Jake replied.

"I couldn't use it all or the sphere would have come to me."

Jake nodded. "I know. We need Bill."

* * *

Bill sat in a comfortable chair in Harry's room flipping through one of the many advanced magic books that were lying around. He had arrived a half hour earlier to check up on his friends and had been a little surprised that they weren't there. 

Putting down the book he was about to leave when a blue phoenix appeared in the air above him and offered him its tail feathers.

Trusting the phoenix implicitly, Bill took hold, was lifted off the ground and disappeared. A moment later he reappeared in an underground room, catching a brief glimpse of Harry before a wave of cold slammed into him and he dropped to his knees as darkness began to encroach on his mind.

The phoenix that brought him quickly took a perch on his shoulder and began weaving its song. After a few minutes Bill seemed to snap out of it and was able to stand.

"You ok Bill?" Tonks asked worriedly.

Bill took a deep breath and nodded. "That sucked."

Harry and Jake chuckled at his response.

"Where are we?" Bill asked looking around curiously.

"Azkaban."

Bills eyes opened wide for a second before returning to normal as he shook his head. "Guess I should have been able to figure that out on my own, huh?"

"The dementor should have been a clue," Jake said.

"Wow," Bill said in awe as he spotted the sphere containing the phoenix. "There has to be a great story behind all of this."

After giving Bill a quick summary of everything they had learned the night before, they explained what they needed him to do. Bill made a thorough examination of the sphere before agreeing that that was the best course of action and moved to stand with Tonks on one side of the sphere opposite Harry.

Again they cast their spells but this time when the magic reached its pitch, the sphere began to stretch. They continued pouring their combined power into it until the sphere measure two meters across, roughly four times its original size.

With their deed done, they let the spells fall and stumbled to the ground in exhaustion. The phoenix all moved to help and in a short time the worst of it had passed and they were able to join Jake as he prepared to breach the shield.

Jake was glad his family was with him as he prepared to perform the task assigned to him. He had never consciously used his magic before but his task was simple and the sight would allow him to feel his way along.

The magic seemed slippery as he willed it to do as he asked, pulling it from his newly freed core and molding it into a small point. It fought against him, not wanting to be contained but his will was strong and eventually he managed to make it do as he commanded.

Pushing it forward, a blue light erupted from the point it met the shield. He could feel the resistance as the opposing forces fought for dominance and pushed harder adding more and more of his magic to the spell.

Eventually he felt it begin to give, his magic beginning to push into the barrier and adding a little bit more to the mix he gave it a final push and the barrier was breached.

Instantly fire erupted within the sphere and a moment later it was empty. Another flash and the phoenix that had been trapped inside appeared next to Jake. With the phoenix freed, Jake let his magic fall away and slumped to the ground unconscious. Harry, Tonks and Bill were immediately at his side.

'Do not worry, he is merely sleeping. His body is not used to using so much magic,' the newly released phoenix trilled. 'Thank you for all that you have done. I will look after the lost line.'

A moment later the phoenix disappeared with Jake.

Standing back up, the group turned to the dementor who was in obvious distress.

'Thank you,' Corin hissed through his obvious pain. 'Thank you for helping us correct our mistake.'

"Are you ok?" Harry asked in concern.

The dementor nodded. 'With our crime undone, the curse has begun to lift. It will take some time, but we will once again become that which we once were.'

Reaching within his robes, the dementor removed a solid gold quill and handed it to Harry. 'We could never begin to repay you for what you have done, but in that regard we have taken the liberty of destroying the Horcrux we know you seek. This quill used to belong to Lady Ravenclaw.'

"Thank you," Harry said sincerely as he accepted the quill.

A moment later he heard a trill and looked up to find a phoenix offering its tail feathers to him. Taking it as their sign to go, Harry grabbed hold and disappeared along with Tonks and Bill.

Corin smiled as he watched them disappear before speaking to the now empty room. 'No, thank you Harry Potter, thank you. We will not kill, never again, but when the time is right, we will help.'


	15. Moaning Myrtle

**Chapter 15 – Moaning Myrtle**

Jake woke the next morning feeling refreshed and alert. As he sat up in bed, he couldn't help but grin at the thought that his friends bringing him home unconscious after an adventure was getting to be a habit. As he stretched his arms over his head, he noticed a red phoenix perched on a chair next to his bed.

"Well hello there."

'Greetings, it is good to see you well Unbound One.'

Jake let out a snort. "Unbound One? People do like to give titles in the magical world, don't they?"

The phoenix seemed to chuckle lightly. 'They do at that. I wish to express my gratitude to you for freeing me from my prison at the risk of your magic.'

With a wave of his hand, Jake shook off the thanks. "No problem. Seemed like the right thing to do."

'I am in your debt.'

"You're not, but thanks anyway. What's your name?"

'I do not have one. Only phoenix which are bound are given names.'

"Mmm," Jake replied simply. Stretching again, Jake stood from where he had been sitting and started looking through his dresser for some clothes. "Well not to be rude but if you don't mind I could use a shower."

'Not at all Unbound One.'

"Jake."

'I am honored, Jake.'

Grabbing a change of clothes, Jake made his way into the bathroom and set his things on the counter. Looking up he caught his image in the mirror and couldn't help but roll his eyes and let out a groan at the sight that greeted him. His face was bright pink. _Bright_ _pink!_ Pushing aside the laughter that threatened to escape, Jake placed a forced look of anger on his face and stormed across the hall.

"What the hell did…" Jake started yelling as he threw open the door to Harry and Tonks room but his words quickly fell off as he looked in to find Tonks sitting on top of Harry with her head thrown back.

"I… errr… gods…" he stuttered as he quickly fumbled to get out of the room. He was thankful there was a sheet wrapped around them so he didn't actually have to see anything.

As the door closed, Harry and Tonks started laughing hysterically. Tonks pushed the sheet that had been shielding them away to reveal she was wearing a t-shirt and they hadn't actually been doing anything at all.

"That was awesome!" Harry said still laughing.

Tonks couldn't seem to stop giggling. "No shit. Pink's a good color for him."

"I could swear his face kept getting brighter."

Another bout of laughter erupted out of Tonks. "We made him blush!"

The pair laughed for a long while before finally deciding it was time to get up. After getting dressed, they made some breakfast and waited for Jake to join them. It wasn't long before they heard a somewhat more timid than usual knock on the door.

"Come in!" Tonks yelled.

The door opened a little bit and Jake stuck his still pink head in. "Everything covered up now?"

Harry and Tonks shared another laugh.

"Yeah Jake, come on in." Harry replied.

Joining the pair, Jake picked up a piece of toast and took a bite. "Sorry guys," he said after swallowing. "I should've knocked. I didn't mean to walk in on you like that."

Harry and Tonks took in the abashed look on Jake's face and once again broke down into laughter.

Seeing the pair weren't embarrassed or upset, Jake began to wonder exactly what was going on. "I think I'm missing something," he said with narrowed eyes.

Again the pair broke into laughter. "We weren't doing anything Jake, we knew you were coming. We were still wearing our night clothes under the sheet."

Even Jake couldn't help but shake his head and laugh at that. "Nice one guys, nice one. Now fix it!" he finished with mock anger while pointing at his face.

"I don't know if I can Jake, you sure you're not just blushing again?" Tonks asked teasingly.

Jake groaned.

After some more laughter and teasing at Jake's expense, Tonks returned his face to normal and the three finished their breakfast before beginning their morning workout.

* * *

Tonks and Jake were chatting lightly while Harry took his shower when an alarm sounded. 

"Ten plus," Jake said as he grabbed a Portkey from the wall.

Drawing her wand, Tonks nodded and after taking a nervous look towards the bedroom door, went to grab hold.

"Grab Harry," Jake said quickly.

Tonks shook her head. "No, we can handle it."

Jake looked back at her sternly. "It's a large number, we need Harry."

She was about to make another argument when the door was thrown open and Harry ran in the room with his wands already drawn. He was still dripping wet and had obviously dressed in a hurry.

"What do we have?" he said as he jogged across the room.

Jake was about to respond when Tonks jumped in. "Nothing to worry about, we've got it."

Harry looked confused and could see the obvious worry on Tonks face but before he could respond Jake took control.

"ENOUGH! There's ten plus! We need Harry and we need to go now!"

Stepping forward Jake held out the Portkey and watched as they both took hold. As he took in the look of worry on Tonks face he knew they would have to address this issue the moment they returned from the attack. He hadn't missed the worried looks Tonks occasionally gave Harry since the young man had returned and had been afraid this might be a problem. He wished he had followed his instincts and dealt with this already but it was too late now.

He prayed this wouldn't turn out badly.

* * *

The instant they landed colored lights started flashing past from every direction and all three of them had to hit the deck. 

Tonks and Jake rolled to their right finding shelter in a long window well next to the house.

Harry quickly made his way to a lone tree in the backyard. Unfortunately, the Death Eaters were spread all over and it only provided him cover from about two thirds of their number. Casting a quick shield, he immediately began throwing curses at the ones who could still see him.

"Aaaa," Harry hissed as he took a cutting curse to his right leg. Luckily it was only a grazing hit and wouldn't cause him too many problems. "Reducto!" he yelled in retaliation.

* * *

"Shit!" Jake swore with a grunt as he landed in the window well. It was about four feet deep and it didn't help that Tonks had landed on top of him. 

The moment she stood up, Jake turned towards the house and broke a pain of glass from the window with his elbow. Reaching inside, he quickly undid the latch and climbed in.

"Evac Harry!" Tonks cried out as she saw Harry get hit in the leg with an unknown spell.

The moment he disappeared her worries fled and she was able to drop into Auror mode and began fighting back viciously, using her anger at the bastards for hurting her Harry to power her spells.

* * *

Jake swore as he heard Tonks take Harry out of the fight but there was nothing he could do so he quickly made his way through the house. He didn't know what Harry's situation was and it was entirely possible that she had made the right call, but somehow he doubted it. 

Finding a set of stairs, Jake made his way up, carefully opening the door incase there were Death Eaters or jumpy homeowners in the house. Not seeing anyone through the crack or hearing any noise, he pushed the door open and pulled back for a moment before taking another quick look. Finding himself in an empty kitchen, he moved to a door at one end.

Jake found himself in a dining room situated on the back corner of the house. Both of the windows on the outer walls had been shattered so he dropped to a crouch and moved to the one situated on the side of the home. The other sat on the back side of the structure and would have been directly above the window well he had entered through.

Taking a position low and to one side of the window he peered out looking towards the front of the house and couldn't see anything. Again staying low, Jake moved to the other side and found two Death eaters with their backs to him firing curses around the corner of the building.

With a knife in each hand, Jake took a deep breath and leapt out the window. Because of the way the Death Eaters were positioned he wasn't able to strike at both of them with his knives, but as he plunged one knife into a robed figures spine, he kicked the other one hard. As the Death Eater was pushed from his cover, he was hit with one of Tonks spells that removed a good chunk of the man's leg. He was screaming in agony and would bleed out in seconds.

A second later he threw his body against the house as a jet of green light narrowly missed him and hissed in pain as a second curse impacted his left arm breaking it in several places.

Sensing more incoming curses and unable to climb back in the window with his broken arm, Jake ran away from the house and jumped into some bushes, the only cover available. The pain of the impact when he landed was considerable and his vision began to narrow.

Taking deep breaths, he pushed away what pain he could. His vision cleared and he lifted his head to check out the situation. As he looked out across the back yard he noticed the spells had stopped and the Death Eaters were converging on the house.

He was about to evacuate when he saw a killing curse heading straight for him. Unable to move and with no time to call for the evacuation, he knew his time was over. He idly wondered what had happened to Tonks.

* * *

Harry was surprised as he appeared back in his bedroom at Privet Drive. His position in the battle hadn't been a good one but he didn't think it was that bad either. He guessed there had been something going on that he hadn't been able to see. 

Seeing that Tonks and Jake weren't back, he realized he had been the only one evacuated. Sitting on the arm of the chair he had landed next too, Harry ripped the torn leg of his jeans open further to see how much damage had been done to his leg. His inspection of the wound revealed what he already suspected, that the curse had only grazed him. It was little more than a bad scratch.

After casting a quick healing spell, Harry grabbed another Portkey off the wall and prepared to return to help Tonks and Jake. He hesitated after raising his wand. It occurred to him that their entry point was probably now the middle of the battle and if he activated it he would most likely get caught in the crossfire between Tonks and the Death Eaters.

His mind worked furiously as he tried to figure out what to do but he wasn't coming up with any answers. All he knew was that his family was involved in a battle for their lives and he had to help them. Seeing no other options, he was about to activate the Portkey and take his chances when there was a burst of flame above him.

A Phoenix trill echoed through the room and Harry looked up to find his blue friend hovering above him. Grinning widely, Harry tossed the Portkey aside and reached up to take hold of the birds feathers.

* * *

Harry appeared above the house and was quickly lowered to the roof. As he released his hold on the Phoenix tail, the bird seemed to waver and disappear. 

Shaking his head at the bird's odd behavior, Harry listened intently and could hear the sounds of battle coming from the rear of the house. He was about to crawl down the back side of the roof when the phoenix he had come with faded back into view in front of him.

'Your family fights six in the back. Two more hide in the front.'

Harry nodded realizing the Phoenix had become invisible and scouted the area for him.

"Thanks," he said before switching directions.

Crawling to the edge of the roof, Harry searched the front yard until he spotted the two robed figures the bird had told him about hiding behind a large tree. He growled as he carefully moved back out of sight.

"I can't get to them from here. Can you take me behind them?"

The bird gave a nod of its head. 'Be ready for they will hear us appear.'

With a nod of his own, Harry once again took hold of his friend's tail feathers. A flash of fire later, he appeared near the ground directly behind the pair of Death Eaters. They both spun around with their wands out but Harry was quicker.

As he let go of the phoenix tail feathers his second wand appeared in his off hand and a pair of cutting curses ended his enemy's lives. Preparing to move towards the house, he heard a trill and saw the Phoenix lowering its tail feather for him to take hold of again. There was another flash of flame and once again he appeared on the roof.

Drawing his second wand again, Harry made his way to the back side of the house. As he neared the edge of the roof he began to panic at the sight that greeted him.

The battle seemed to have come to a stop and Harry could the Death Eaters closing in on one corner of the house. As he peered over the edge, he found the unconscious form of Tonks lying in the bottom of a window well.

"Evac Tonks," he said, watching with and extremely small amount of satisfaction as she disappeared. She was pretty far away, but he thought he had seen her chest moving with her breathing and prayed she was alright.

As his attention returned to the approaching Death Eaters, he noticed two of them were heading for some bushes just away and to one side of the home. Looking ahead to where they were going, he found Jake lying on the ground. He felt a small bit of relief as he saw Jakes head lift up from where it was resting but again felt panic as he heard a Death Eater call out a spell.

"Avada Kedavra!"

"Evac Jake!" he quickly yelled.

Jake disappeared and the curse impacted the ground where he had just been. Unfortunately Harry had given away his position and he immediately had to throw himself back and to one side as several curses headed towards him blasting apart the roof where he had been crouching.

Shrapnel from the house cut up his left side but he had managed to avoid the worst of it and wasn't hurt to bad. Looking up he could see the Phoenix sitting on the peak of the roof.

"Can you catch me and flame me across the back yard?"

The bird nodded and disappeared.

Taking several quick breaths to gather his courage, Harry quickly stood and dove off the roof blasting everything he could as he plummeted to the ground two stories below. Just before he landed painfully in the back yard, he felt the Phoenix grab his shoulder and the comforting feeling of Phoenix fire washed over him.

Harry appeared behind a tree on the far side of the back yard and was quickly placed on the ground. As soon as he had his footing, the Phoenix released him and he surveyed the situation.

He had managed to take out four of their number on his way down and there were only two left. The pair was looking around frantically, wondering where he had gone.

Charging out from his cover, Harry cast blasting hex after blasting hex. The Death Eaters were confused and frightened, their hurriedly cast curses not coming anywhere close to Harry as he ended the raid.

His breathing came in heavy gasps as he looked around, his wands still out as he scanned for any remaining threats.

Another trill caught his attention as the blue Phoenix appeared above him.

'They were the last, you should return to your family.'

Harry nodded and stashed his wands, disappearing with the Phoenix a moment later.

* * *

Jake appeared in Harry's room and had to fight the spots that filled his vision as his broken arm was twisted at unnatural angles upon his landing. The pain he was in was considerable, but at this point he was just thankful to be alive. 

Trying to move turned out to be a bad idea. The bones in his arm had apparently splintered and it felt like shards of broken glass were cutting him up from the inside. Breathing heavily from the failed maneuver, Jake looked around the room spying one of their potions kits lying on the edge of Harry's nightstand.

It was only about ten feet away, but it might as well been a mile with all the good it would do him. Growling in frustration, Jake wished it was just a little bit closer.

Clank.

The noise had come from the direction of Harry's bed and he looked back over to see what it was. Jake was surprised to find the potions kit was no longer on the nightstand where it had been a moment before. His gaze immediately dropped to the floor and he was even more surprised to find the kit lying about half way between the nightstand and himself.

His mind worked quickly, putting together the pieces in a matter of seconds. For his entire life he had lived as a Muggle, his magic tightly bound. Until this moment it had never occurred to him that he was actually a wizard and that thanks to the White Dementor his magic was now free. He had wished for the box to be closer and his magic had made it happen.

Feeling a small amount of hope, Jake raised his good hand in the air. Though he didn't have a wand, he did as he had seen Harry and Tonks do on many occasions.

"Accio box!" he said as he concentrated on the potions store.

He was slightly dismayed when nothing happened but he had never been one to give up easily. Jake spent a few moments thinking about what he needed to do, clearly it wasn't as simple as just saying the words.

Thinking back to the way the magic felt when he had helped to free the Phoenix at Azkaban Island, Jake tried again.

"Accio box!"

Again the box failed to come to him but it did move slightly where it sat and Jake was sure he was getting close. Concentrating on the box and his magic, Jake willed the box to come to him and pictured it flying through the air to his hand as he said the spell for a third time.

"Accio box!"

A large grin found its way onto his face as the box shuddered briefly before it seemed to come unstuck and flew into his outstretched hand.

Laying the box on his chest, Jake took a second to examine his hand, rubbing his thumb lightly against his fingertips as he considered the slight tingling he now felt. The sensation quickly passed and he turned his attention to the potions store he now held.

"Pain reliever," he said rapping lightly on the side with his knuckles.

Removing the vial that emerged from the hole in one end, Jake leaned his head forwards and removed the cork with his teeth. After spitting it aside, he quickly downed the contents not even minding the horrible taste as it washed through his system taking his pain away as it went.

After giving the potion a minute to work, Jake was able to sit up.

Looking around, he found Tonks lying not far away. Visible cuts covered her face and hands and a fair amount of blood was on her clothes but her breathing was steady so he hoped she would be alright. Rapping on the potions store a second time, he spoke again.

"Medium Skele-Gro."

This time he couldn't help the grimace that appeared on his face as he swallowed the vile concoction. He was pretty sure that particular potion had to be the worst tasting stuff on the planet.

Wanting to check on Tonks, Jake started to get up but his arm twisted slightly at the movement and even with the pain reliever in his system he felt like his arm was being beat with a baseball bat.

Holding up his hand, Jake once again concentrated on his magic and summoned a dirty towel from across the room. After grinning again at the novelty of doing magic, Jake fashioned the towel into a temporary sling. With his arm now causing him far less trouble, Jake went to see what he could do for Tonks.

A closer inspection showed that his initial assessment seemed to be fairly accurate. His only real concern was that he didn't know what curses she had been hit with or what effects those curses might have. Remembering Harry's story from when he'd been injured in his fight with Riddle, Jake called out.

"Fawkes!"

He was happy when a burst of flame appeared above him a moment later.

'Greetings Jake,' the phoenix trilled.

"Hey Fawkes, thanks for coming. I was hoping you could help me with Tonks here."

Landing beside the injured girl, Fawkes let out a long series of trills and chirps. When he was done singing, Fawkes moved towards her head and began dropping tears on the worst of her wounds. With his healing done, Fawkes stepped back.

'She appears to have been hit with flying debris and has a large bump on her head which is the cause of her unconsciousness. She needs to wake up.'

Jake nodded and picked up his potions store. "Smelling Salts."

Not knowing how to cast the enervate charm, he was glad he had thought to add several Muggle items to the kit in addition to the potions they stocked. Opening the vial that emerged, he removed the small white tube and snapped it in half. After passing it under her nose a couple times, a grimace found its way onto Tonks face and she shook her head to get away from the smell as her eyes flickered open.

"Time to get up sleeping beauty," Jake urged his friend.

Apparently he waved the salts under her nose one too many times and Tonks lashed out to slap the item away. Unfortunately she hit his injured arm drawing a loud hiss from him as it throbbed in pain.

"What the…" Tonks started as she sat up and looked at Jakes sling.

"Busted up, nothing big. How are you doing?" he asked waving off her obvious worry.

"I feel like the Weird Sisters are having a concert in my head."

After wincing as she felt the bump on her head, Tonks looked around the room. Not finding who she was looking for, she quickly began feeling anxious and worried.

"Harry!" she called out as she continued to scan the room before finally turning back to Jake now fully panicked. "Where's Harry?!"

"I don't know. I think he ported us out but I haven't seen him. At a guess, since he's not here I'd say he went back to fight."

Tonks quickly stood and made a move towards the wall to get a Portkey but a wave of dizziness passed over her and as the room started to spin she went crashing back to the floor.

"Tonks!" Jake said as he moved to help her.

Shaking her head in an attempt to rid herself of her current impairment, Tonks started to stand again.

"You're in no condition to fight," Jake said firmly as he grabbed her arm and forced her to sit back down.

"I have to help Harry!"

"You're no good to him like this. You'll only distract him and get the two of you killed."

"NO! He needs me! I have to go!" Tears were forming in her eyes at the thought of what the Death Eaters might be doing to him.

Jake held her tightly and kept her sitting down as she continued to struggle against him. It broke his heart to see the worry and fear on her face but there was no way she could fight.

"Let me go!" she screamed as she fought against Jake's grasp.

Fawkes trilling began echoing around the room. His song spreading calmness and love through the room and slowly Tonks began to calm down. As her struggles passed the tears began to flow and she broke down into sobs as Jake pulled her into a one armed hug.

"I can't lose him again… I can't…" she cried as Jake held her tightly.

Pulling away slightly, Tonks looked at Fawkes who was still singing softly. "He'll be okay, won't he?" she practically begged. "Please tell me he'll be ok."

Fawkes song fell away as he looked at the desperation and pleading in the girls eyes. Her love for the young man was clear, he couldn't help but feel it whenever he was near, and his heart went out to her. It was obvious to him as he looked into her questioning eyes that she was talking about more than the current battle. She was talking about the one they had yet to get too. Unfortunately he did not write fate and did not hold the answers to such questions.

'I have faith in Harry.'

He could tell it wasn't the answer she wanted to hear but he knew it was the best he could do. Wanting to say something more to help her past her current crisis, Fawkes looked up and closed his eyes as he concentrated on his magic. A moment later he looked back down and though it could not be seen on his face it was clear in the magic he naturally gave off that he was smiling.

'He is with the Blue Phoenix.'

A brief laugh could be heard forcing its way past Tonks sobs as she felt her heart lighten slightly at the thought that the Blue Phoenix would not let anything happen to Harry.

Jake continued to hold Tonks for a few more minutes, glad that she was over the worst of her current crisis. Eventually as she regained control of herself, Jake separated from his would be baby sister.

"Any chance I could get you to bind this up for me?" he said indicating his broken arm.

Tonks nodded as she drew her wand. "Sure Jake, sorry."

A quick spell and flash of pain later, Jakes arm felt a lot better. A night of Skele-Gro doing its thing and he would be good as new.

"Thanks," he said simply after examining her work.

A flash of flame appeared in the air above them and relief flowed over the pair as Harry appeared. As his feet touched the ground, Harry found himself attacked by a pink haired witch.

"You're ok," she said into his neck as she held on to him for dear life.

"So are you," he said as he tightened his arms around her.

They held each other tightly for a long while before Tonks finally loosened her grip and pulled back slightly. Her eyes went wide at the sight of the many cuts that covered the left side of his face.

"You're not ok! You're hurt!" she exclaimed.

"I'm fine, it's only a scratch."

The look on her face made it clear she didn't believe him and Harry knew she wasn't about to let it go. As one the pair moved to the couch and took a seat. The moment they sat down Tonks drew her wand and began healing the many small cuts that Harry had gotten when the roof he had been standing on exploded.

"Thanks," he said with a smile as she finished with the last one.

After putting away her wand, Tonks leaned in giving Harry a lingering kiss on the lips. As they parted the pair stared into each other's eyes for a long minute before Harry leaned back in his seat and Tonks snuggled up into his side. Looking across the coffee table Harry found Jake sitting in his normal chair.

"Nice towel," Harry said with a grin. He was surprised when Jakes expression remained serious.

"We all need to talk."

Harry looked back curiously. "What about?"

Jake's gaze shifted to Tonks. "Why did you evacuate Harry?"

Tonks eyes dropped to her lap. "He got hit in the leg with a curse and he was surrounded."

"That's it?" Harry said surprised. "It was only a scratch. I figured there was a killing curse headed for me or something."

Tonks shook her head no and did not look up. "I was so scared… I can't lose you again…" she said softly as her grip on Harry tightened.

"She said you were surrounded Harry. What was your position like?"

Harry thought for a moment before answering. "I was backed up against a tree with a shield charm in front of me. The cover was pretty good but two or three did have a clear shot at me. It wasn't a great place to be but I don't think it was that bad. I wasn't ready to leave yet."

Jake nodded. Harry's answer had been about what he expected. "We needed him Tonks. There was no immediate threat to Harry that he wasn't aware of. As such it was up to him to make the decision to evacuate and you had no business pulling him out like you did. We were heavily outnumbered and were almost killed because of it. If Harry hadn't come back when he did we probably would have been."

After starring at Tonks for another long minute Jake stood up from his seat. "I'm going to bed to let this arm heal. Ultimately it's Harry's decision but I think that until you can get your head on straight you shouldn't go on any more raids."

Without waiting for a response, Jake left the room closing the door behind him.

The pair sat on the couch for a few minutes before Harry finally broke the silence. "Tonks?" he said softly.

Tonks didn't say anything and didn't look up.

"Hey," he said softly as he lifted her head up to face him.

There were tears in her eyes and she swallowed heavily before whispering, "I'm sorry."

"Tonks," he began but was quickly cut off.

"I think you should do the ritual."

Harry was surprised at what she had just suggested. "What?"

"I think you should do the ritual you parents sent you," she said again. "I was so scared… I can't lose you again."

Harry took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I can't say for sure what's going to happen in this war but I can say that if I do the ritual you _will_ lose me. Maybe not for awhile but eventually you will move on while I stay stuck here forever."

Tonks seemed to grip him even tighter but didn't say anything.

"Have you thought about the prophecy at all?"

He smiled as she looked up at him slightly confused.

"You should think about it because I think we proved on the cliff that night that it's true."

Harry could see the wheels turning as she worked through it's meaning again.

"They can't kill me Tonks. Even if every Death Eater there tonight had hit me with a killing curse I'd still be here. Only Voldemort himself could kill me and I've got no intention of fighting him until I know I can beat him."

Tonks felt a brief feeling of hope and relief flow through her as she realized his words were true. The Death Eaters couldn't kill him. She tensed again at the thought that Voldemort could but her fears were once again pushed away as Harry continued.

"Promise you won't face him until you can beat him?" she practically begged.

Harry smiled and brushed his finger tips across her tear stained cheek. "I promise."

* * *

_Daily Prophet  
__Potter and Friends Prove Effective Once Again  
__by Margie Thayer_

_In what is quickly becoming a common occurrence, Harry Potter and his friends repelled another attack this time leaving the bodies of twelve Death Eaters lying dead at the scene of the attack._

_The target this time was the home belonging to Shamus O'Malley the proprietor of 'Clocks-N-Such' in Diagon Alley and his family. Shamus and his wife of twelve years have three children. Fortunately for the family they were lucky enough to not be home at the time of the attack._

_Potter, Tonks and Trapp appeared…

* * *

_

_Daily Prophet  
__Cowards in Masks Put Down By Potter and Friends  
__by Margie Thayer_

_Seven Death Eaters were killed with a further two escaping when their attack was stopped in its tracks by Potter, Tonks and Trapp._

_After the attack Harry Potter was quoted by the homeowners as saying "They're only witches and wizards and not very good ones at that. If everyone didn't get so scared when they saw the masks and robes the Death Wanker's wouldn't stand a chance."_

_Aurors arriving on the scene were met with…

* * *

_

_Daily Prophet  
__Multi Pronged Attack Fought Off By Potter and Friends  
__by Margie Thayer_

_It was another bad night for the 'Death Wanker's' as they have been referred to by Harry Potter._

_In an apparent attempt to counter Potter's efforts, the Death Wanker's launched attacks on multiple targets at the same time last night. Potter and Friends were able to fight off two of the attacks while an unnamed homeowner and his brother partially fought off a third before fleeing the attack. Regrettably a fourth attack resulted in a destroyed home and three deaths._

_The Ministry of Magic has…

* * *

_

A week had passed since Tonks crisis and while it wasn't easy for her she had managed to push away her fears of losing Harry and the small group was once again working well together.

Jake had showed them his newly discovered ability to do magic. They had been very excited and happy for him, quickly realizing this would greatly increase his effectiveness during a magical battle. They had wanted to get him a wand but Jake had stubbornly refused.

While Jake now embraced the magic he held, he still considered himself more Muggle than wizard and said that just wasn't who he was. While not entirely happy about it, Harry and Tonks understood and did everything they could to teach him to use his magic effectively.

After hearing Harry's story about the blue phoenix taking him into battle, the group had a long talk with the three blue phoenixes and found that they could summon them by pushing a small amount of magic into the tattoo's on their forearms. It was something they were especially thankful for and a privilege they promised they would not abuse.

* * *

Cornelius Fudge sat in his office rubbing his temples. He growled in frustration as he thought about the political nightmare he found himself stuck in the middle of. It had started bad enough with the ever famous Harry Potter's return to the wizarding world several years earlier, add Dumbledore to the mix and he had quickly fallen in popularity. 

Of course he wished that had been all that happened, he could have dealt with that, no, then the most feared Dark Lord in history returned and in what had become his typical form, he managed to completely bungle the situation.

As if all that wasn't enough, Harry Potter was now fighting the Death Eaters almost single handedly. Granted he had to admit himself he was glad Harry was out there fighting them but the boy had embarrassed him one too many times and he would never admit it in public. No, better to keep track of the number of laws Potter was breaking and let him and his friends sign their own fate.

"What the hell else could go wrong," he said tiredly as he looked around the room.

"Bugger…" he groaned as he heard a knock at his office door. "Come."

"Minister," his secretary said as she entered the office. "A Warden Sandson is here to see you sir."

Brief images of how much happier life would be if he just quit passed through his mind before Cornelius nodded. The secretary left and a moment later a tall thin man with graying hair entered the office.

Stepping up to the Minister's desk, Sandson stood at attention. "Minister."

A small shiver crept up Cornelius spine as the warden looked down at him. The man wasn't very large but he held an aura of authority about him and his gaze seemed to penetrate through the Minister as he stared up at the man.

"Please have a seat Warden," Cornelius said in greeting not able to remember the man's first name.

"Thank you," Sandson said taking the offered seat though he sat on its edge, his posture remaining rigid.

"I'll get right to the point Minister. Something's going on at Azkaban."

Fudges eyes opened wide. "What's that? Azkaban?"

Sandson nodded. "I did send you several memos over the last week sir."

"I… Errr…" Cornelius stuttered as he began looking through the piles of untouched paperwork spread across his desk.

The Warden sighed internally. "Temperatures have increased dramatically around the island and its surrounding area. The effects of Dementors have lessened considerably and fewer of the creatures have been sighted every day for the past week."

Cornelius looked back at Sandson in shock. What the hell was happening out there?

The Warden could see Cornelius was about to ask a stupid question and quickly continued on before the man could voice his idiocy, Merlin how he hated working for this moron.

"There's more. While we have been allowed to drop off prisoners, we are not being allowed on the Island."

"What?! How is that possible?" Cornelius said getting very concerned.

"If we approach without a prisoner, the boats won't land at the dock. If we do have a prisoner we can land but only the prisoner can get out of the boat. There's an invisible barrier of some sort that prevents us getting on the dock. We've tried everything but nothing works on it."

Fudge was beginning to feel the sensation of panic starting to build. "I can't believe they can stop Aurors, I didn't even know Dementors could cast magic. How many are on the dock? How many do they need to make the shield?" Fudge asked.

Sandson almost let a smile slip onto his face as the Minister asked his questions, this would be fun. "One."

"Wha… what? Did… One you say?"

"One sir, after our last attempt to get on the island he identified himself as the Lord of Azkaban and requested that you come meet with him."

The fact that the Dementor had communicated with the Aurors completely escaped Fudge's attention as he focused on a single fact. "I… he wants me?" he asked timidly.

"Yes sir, shall we?" Sandson said rising to his feat and gesturing towards the door.

"What? Now?" Fudge replied clearly in a panic.

"I don't believe this situation can be made to wait any longer sir."

Fudge swallowed heavily as he slowly stood. "Very well then."

As they walked towards the office door Sandson found he couldn't help himself, harassing this idiot of a Minister was fun and he decided to make it a hobby from now on. "Oh, did I mention that the castle is now white instead of black and that the Island is getting bigger?"

* * *

Cornelius was nervous and his palms were sweaty as he sat in a small boat headed towards the Island of Azkaban. 

In the boat with him sat Warden Sandson as well as a contingent of four Aurors. He had wanted more to come but the small boat had severely limited the number he could bring with him. An attempt to launch a second craft had only lasted until they were within sight of the island's dock at which time the boat had turned on its own and headed back to the Aurors post on the mainland.

Between the rocking of the small craft and the nervousness that was coursing through his body, Fudge was unable to control himself and as they neared the dock he was forced to lean over the side of the boat where he emptied the contents of his stomach into the ocean. Too busy heaving to notice, he completely missed the grinning faces of the Aurors and the small chuckle that escaped Warden Sandson.

As the boat landed at the dock, the Aurors found themselves unable to move from their seats.

"Well," Cornelius began, "what are you all waiting for?"

"We can't move sir," Sandson said. "I believe I mentioned to you that this would probably happen."

Sandson sighed internally at the look on the Minister's face. It appeared the idiot hadn't paid any attention to their conversation. Oh well, not much he could do about it now.

"I believe you have a visitor sir," Sandson said with a large amount of satisfaction as he noticed a lone dementor gliding down the dock.

Fudge almost got whiplash he turned around so fast.

His hands began shaking and his breathing became shallow as the dementor approached. He was so frightened by the sight of the creature that he didn't even notice that he couldn't feel any of the beast's effects.

The dementor stopped as he reached the boat and allowed himself to float down until he was standing on the dock next to the boat. After letting Fudge stew in his fear for a few moments longer, he reached up and pushed his hood down before undoing the clasp of his ratty robes and pushing them off his shoulders.

Most of Cornelius fear fell away as he realized this wasn't a dementor at all and his gaze took in the sight of the man before him. The man was tall, over six feet, and had a well muscled body though not overly so. His skin was lightly tanned, his face framed in long, sandy blond hair with intense blue eyes that seemed to stare straight through him.

"Welcome to Azkaban Minister Fudge. Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Corin Lambard, I am the current Lord of Azkaban."

Cornelius smirked to himself at he listened to the man's soft spoken tone. Perhaps this won't be so bad after all he thought.

"Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic," he said pompously, offering the Azkaban Lord his hand.

Corin shook the offered hand and gestured to where he had come from. "Perhaps we could take a walk, Minister."

Fudge hesitated and looked at the Aurors who still sat helpless in the boat. He wanted to demand they be released and allowed to accompany him but he didn't want to show any weakness.

"Excellent Mr. Lambard, I'm actually very interested in seeing the changes I've been hearing about."

Corin let the slight Cornelius made by addressing him as Mr. rather than Lord pass as he led the way down the dock. He slowed so that the Minister could fall into step beside him as they stepped off the wooden sidewalk and onto a long sandy path that climbed the side of a grassy hill before disappearing over its peak.

"I hope you are feeling better Minister, it would appear that sea travel doesn't agree with you."

Cornelius grimaced at the comment. "Yes, quite, thank you." Deciding it would be best to control the conversation he adopted a stern voice and pushed on. "I'm quite concerned that you are not allowing my Aurors onto the island. How is it you believe you have the right to do that?"

Corin sighed internally, he had hoped they could work through the issues of returning the island to its former status in a civil manner but with each passing moment it seemed less and less likely that would be possible. "Simple really, it's my island."

"Now see here young man, if you think the Ministry is going to sit idly by and allow such behavior you're sorely mista…" Cornelius voice trailed off as they crested the hill and the rest of the island came into view.

The island was far larger than it had been the last time Fudge had visited, with lush green hills rolling on into the distance rather than the cold grey stone that used to be present everywhere. Not far away stood the Castle Azkaban which shined a brilliant white giving off an other worldly glow in the bright sunlight. The sight was simply awe inspiring and Cornelius found himself struck speechless as he took it all in.

Corin's voice had an edge to it as he began to speak while Cornelius continued to gaze dumbstruck around the island. "I am over two thousand years old Minister, so do not mistake my youthful appearance for a lack of experience or power. To do so would be a mistake of the gravest proportions."

"I… I don't think you…"

"Enough! It is time for you to listen, not to speak," Corin roared.

Cornelius cringed at the sound of anger in Corin's voice and shrunk away from the magical power now rolling off the angered Lord. After being stared down for a long minute, Cornelius began nodding vigorously. He was relieved when Corin's power began fading from the air.

Corin sighed and gestured to one of the islands shores not far away. It was clear to him this man was little more than a worthless politician, most likely looking out more for himself than his government but if there was one thing he knew politicians understood and responded too, it was power.

Looking to where Corin had indicated, Cornelius could just make out what appeared to be a half dozen wizards standing on the islands shore in a line that was about a hundred yards long. Each had their arms raised as if in a welcoming embrace and as he continued to watch they all began glowing brightly.

"My god…" Cornelius whispered in awe as the ocean below them began to froth and churn before a massive piece of muddy land rose from within the depths of the blue water and added itself to the island. As the glow faded from the six wizards, Cornelius turned back to Corin.

"Mine are a powerful people Minister. We are not to be trifled with."

Cornelius swallowed heavily. "What is it that you want?" he asked nervously.

With a wave of his hand, a large desk with several lengthy scrolls of parchment appeared beside the pair.

"My island was taken over by _your_ Ministry. I want it returned to _my_ people."

"Mr. Lambard, the Min…"

"LORD LAMBARD!" the now angered Corin roared.

Cornelius cringed and tried to shrink away as Corin's magic became thick in the air again.

"My claim on this island predates the very existence of your Ministry. You will return complete control of it to me now or you will find yourself at war with my people. I assure you the problems you are having with your current Dark Lord are but a minor nuisance compared to what awaits you if you attempt to deny me and my people our rights here today."

Cornelius nodded vigorously as he stepped forward to sign the documents. It was clear from the displays of power that everything Corin was telling him was the truth. If anything he felt the Lord of Azkaban was understating the facts.

"Very good," Corin said as he too signed the scrolls.

With another wave of his hand the desk disappeared and Corin handed Cornelius one of the documents.

"Per our agreement we will continue to house your prisoners for you. You may continue to maintain your Auror presence at the landing on the mainland but they will not be permitted on the island."

Fudge nodded. "Would you be willing to help us in the fight against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?"

"We will not align ourselves with your Ministry, nor will we ally ourselves with the Dark Lord who calls himself Voldemort."

Cornelius flinched at the mention of the name and nodded resolutely. At least these powerful people would not side with the Death Eaters.

"If you have no further questions concerning our respective governments, I believe our business here is concluded."

"What are you going to do now?" Fudge asked nervously as they began walking back down the hill towards the waiting boat.

Corin smiled. "We are going to return our island to its former glory. We are going to remake our home."

* * *

A week later September the first had rolled around and Harry found himself hiding behind a host of glamour charms. His hair was a long, dirty blond, his eyes a much duller green and his skin a deep, dark tan. Beside him stood Tonks who had morphed herself into a female version of the disguise he was wearing. 

"Are you sad you're not going back?" Tonks asked as they observed the busy train platform.

"A little, but not really," he said surprising her, she knew he missed his friends.

"Really?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, you wouldn't be there."

Her smile lit up at his comment and she felt a wave of love flow through her. Unable to help herself, she gave him a quick kiss before returning her attention to the milling crowds.

"There they are," she said a few minutes later as she pointed towards one end of the platform.

Harry's gaze moved to where she was indicating and he could easily make out several tufts of distinctive Weasley red hair. As he continued to look, he found a mass of bushy brown hair as well and knew Hermione had come to Kings Cross with them.

They waited until they saw Hermione, Ron and Ginny board the train before casually making their way aboard. With students running about in every direction it took awhile and the train was already moving before the pair found Harry's friends in a compartment near the end of the train.

Opening the door, Harry smiled as he remembered all the good times he'd had riding the train to and from school with his friends. "Hello, do you mind? Everywhere else is full."

* * *

Hermione was chatting lightly with Ron and Ginny when she heard the door to their compartment slide open. Looking up she saw a pair of new students she had never seen before. Their features were similar and she quickly surmised they must be brother and sister, probably twins as well she thought. 

Smiling warmly at their friendly greeting, she gestured to the empty seats across from her. "Of course, are you new?"

Harry grinned as he took the offered seat. A moment later Tonks had closed the door and sat down next to him.

"We're not really students, we just thought it might be fun to take a train ride," he said with a lopsided grin.

Hermione's lips thinned and she raised one eyebrow. "I'm not sure that's allowed. This train is supposed to be for Hogwarts students only."

"Awe, come on Hermione, they're not hurting anyone," Ron said jumping to their defense.

As the two glared at each other Ginny rolled her eyes. "Hi, sorry about these two, that's Hermione Granger, my brother Ron Weasley, and I'm Ginny Weasley."

"Nice to meet you," Harry began with a mischievous grin, "I'm Harry Potter."

Ginny's jaw dropped and Hermione and Ron forgot all about their oncoming argument as their gazes became fixed on the boy across from them.

Tonks was laughing hysterically in her head and couldn't resist her standard greeting as Hermione looked towards her. "Wotcher Hermione!" she said cheerfully.

"Tonks…" Hermione started before everything seemed to click into place. "Harry!" she screamed as she threw herself across the small compartment and captured her wayward friend in a massive hug.

A minute later she managed to regain most of her composure and pulled away, pausing only to give Tonks a quick hug as well before returning to her seat.

Ginny and Ron followed along a moment later giving them each a warm greeting though Ron refrained from hugs instead just shaking Harry's hand.

"What are you doing here? Are you going back to school? Why haven't you been taking our owls? Where's your other…"

Harry shared a grin with Ron at Hermione's rapid fire questions and soon the pair was laughing out loud much to Hermione's chagrin.

"Honestly!"

"It's good to see you too Hermione," a still grinning Harry said.

The next several hours passed quickly as Harry and Tonks explained that Jake was back at Harry's, keeping an eye on things while they decided to ride along with the students in case anything happened. They answered as many of Hermione's questions as they could without getting into specifics and listened to tales of boring summers spent at the Burrow and Grimmauld Place. Eventually they were joined by Neville and Luna who were both glad to see Harry.

"Well, well, well," an all too familiar and annoying voice drawled as the compartment door slid open, "isn't this pathetic. I see Potty's too scared to come back to the castle this year."

"Shut up Malfoy!" Ron yelled.

Harry watched in amusement having expected Malfoy to make his yearly visit. As usual Ron was turning red with anger and Hermione while clearly angry seemed torn as to whether she should confront Malfoy or keep Ron under control. Luna continued to maintain her dreamy exterior and acted as if nothing of consequence was going on and Ginny was glaring at the Malfoy heir clearly angry with his simple but expected comments.

It was Neville who surprised Harry. Far from looking nervous as the shy boy he had been in the past would have, his face was devoid of all emotion and he appeared to be examining the surroundings and situation taking in everything he could as if he was preparing for whatever was about to happen. He didn't fail to notice that Neville had surreptitiously drawn his wand though it was still concealed from view by his free arm.

As his gaze made it across the compartment to where Malfoy was with his cronies Crabb and Goyle standing menacingly behind him, Harry noticed his attention was not on his friends but rather on Tonks and himself.

"I see you've already managed to replace him. I take it you're new here?"

Harry wanted to laugh out loud as Tonks smiled coyly back at Draco and nodded shyly.

"Why don't you ditch these losers and hang out with us. You'll find that some wizards around here are better than others, I can help you out with that." Malfoy said in what he probably thought was a dashing tone.

Unbelievable, Harry thought. He couldn't believe Malfoy was still laying that same old crap on people. He felt his anger rise as he watched Malfoy running his eyes up and down Tonks body but it quickly turned to humor as it occurred to him that Draco was actually eyeing his cousin and that Tonks was more than a match for the young pureblood.

"Oh, I don't know," Tonks started shyly.

Harry had to fight to keep his laughter under control as Tonks pushed her shoulder's back slightly to make her chest more prominent. While she hadn't made it obvious enough that anyone else would catch on, Harry noticed that Tonks had also made her breasts bigger.

"What exactly did you have in mind?" she asked with a sweet smile.

Draco grinned and was hard pressed to stop staring at the girl's chest. "Why don't you come with me and we'll discuss it."

"Why don't you just tell me now?"

Taking a quick look back at his friends, Harry noticed they had all caught on and fighting as hard as he was to not laugh out loud. Harry had to bite his tongue to keep his own laughter under control as he looked back to see Tonks biting her lower lip innocently.

"I… umm," Draco said shifting his gaze quickly around the compartment before looking back at Tonks chest. "We could, I mean I could get us a privet compartment so we could get to know each other better."

"Hmm, interesting offer," Tonks said giving Harry a quick look.

Taking her look as his cue and desperately wanting to join in, Harry stood up. "Well, doesn't look like she really wants to go but that sounds great to me!"

Harry's grin couldn't get any bigger as he looked at the confused and upset look on Draco's face. He almost lost it completely when Ron snorted out loud.

"I… I was actually, a, wanting to know her better," a confused Draco said. He was unsure how to handle the situation. The pair appeared to be brother and sister and while he wanted to blow the boy off quickly, he didn't think the girl would think to highly of him if he did that.

"You don't want to be my friend too?" Harry asked in a dejected voice. It was taking everything he had to keep a straight face and he didn't dare look at his friends.

"I'm sorry," Tonks said jumping back into the conversation, "but I go where he goes."

Draco was clearly frustrated. "Alright, you can bring your brother, maybe between the three of us we can figure out a way to get both of you into Slytherin so we can have some more time together."

"What?" Tonks said feigning shock. "He's not my brother."

"Yeah, and we're not students. We actually have really good jobs," Harry added.

Draco was looking back and forth between Harry and Tonks warily now. "You're not? What do you do?"

Harry grinned evilly and stood up to face Draco. As he began to speak, Tonks waved her wand and cancelled his glamour spells. "I kill Death Eaters for a living."

Looking down, Draco found Tonks had morphed to her normal form and was wearing an evil grin that matched Harry's. "Shame on you for hitting on your cousin, you pervert."

Everyone in the compartment was laughing hysterically. Realizing he'd been had, Draco's lost look changed back into a sneer.

"The Dark Lord will get you Potter!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, just like every other year. Hey, why don't you show me your left forearm Malfoy?"

Draco shot Harry a final look of hatred and disappeared down the hallway.

"That was wicked mate!" Ron forced out as he continued to laugh.

Harry was grinning widely. "Tonks was the one who was really brilliant."

Eventually they all managed to calm down and were able to share an enjoyable ride the rest of the way to Hogsmeade. Harry and Tonks said goodbye to their friends in the compartment and waited until all of the students had left in the carriages before heading back to Privet Drive.

* * *

Just as she had the night before, Ginny padded quietly down the fifth floor corridor keeping a sharp lookout for Filch and his annoying cat. For the first time since she had been passed over, Ginny wished she had been named Prefect. It was going to be a long year if she had to do this every night but with her new tattoo she didn't dare use the communal showers in the dorms. 

Stopping to the left of the statue of Boris the Bewildered, Ginny took another quick look around before whispering to the door, "Cleanliness."

The door swung open as the password was given and Ginny quickly stepped inside closing it tightly behind her. She smiled half heartedly at the thought of how easy it had been to get the password, a kind word and a warm smile and the fifth year male prefect from Hufflepuff had been ready to hand over the family fortune.

After sliding the bolt in place to keep anyone from wandering in while she was there, Ginny moved to the side of the pool sized tub and turned on several of the many taps surrounding the giant bath.

While the tub filled, Ginny moved a small chair to one side of the tub opposite the mirrors. After setting out a towel and robe, Ginny stripped out of her clothes being sure to keep her back turned away from the mirror and mermaid portrait. While she didn't really believe the bathrooms were monitored, she wasn't willing to risk anyone finding out about the mark on the small of her back.

Slipping into the now filled bath, Ginny quickly washed her hair and skin before settling down to relax for a bit, letting out a contented sigh as she soaked in the warm water.

"I know your secret…" a whispered voice echoed through the room.

Ginny's eyes shot open at the sound of the voice and she began frantically searching the room. "Who's there?!" she demanded.

"I know your secret…" the voice repeated. It was slightly stronger this time and was almost singing the words.

Panic filled Ginny's being as she continued to search the room, unsuccessfully trying to find the speaker. "Where are you?"

"You've been a naughty girl… Ginny…"

Tears were beginning to form in her eyes and despite the warmth of the bath she began to shake. "Who are you? What do you want from me?"

Giggles erupted from the bath in front of her and Ginny let out a shriek as Moaning Myrtle appeared from under the water just in front of her.

"Myrtle!" Ginny exclaimed as she began to get her breathing back under control.

The young girl's ghost broke into giggles again for a few moments before becoming serious. "I know your secret Ginny Weasley."

"Please Myrtle," Ginny begged, "Please don't tell anyone! I didn't want to take it! I had to, to protect my family!"

"I don't know, I really should tell someone about this…" Myrtle said with an almost evil grin on her face.

"Please Myrtle… Please…"

Tears were rolling down Ginny's face as she begged the ghost to keep her secret. A moment later Myrtle seemed to sag and looked much older than her transparent body portrayed.

"I suppose I could help you… if you could help me."

A wave of relief flowed through Ginny as Myrtle indicated she would be willing to keep her mark a secret. "Anything," she blurted out hopefully, "what do you need?"

Myrtle seemed to get a far away look in her eye, starring off into nothingness for a long while before she turned back to Ginny. "I'm so tired… so tired…" she began. "I want to move on, to leave this place, but I can't."

Ginny's worry was beginning to pass to be replaced by curiosity as she witnessed a side of Myrtle she'd never seen or even heard existed before. "Why can't you?"

"I am tied here. I want to move on, but a part of me cannot."

"I don't understand," Ginny said confused.

Myrtle seemed to think about what she wanted to say for a few moments. "I'm here with you but another piece of me is somewhere else. I want to move on, but all of me has to go."

"Do you know where the piece is?"

Myrtle nodded. "Most people can't go there… but you can… you have."

Again Ginny felt panic begin to creep up within her as she began to understand. "Myrtle, no, I can't, please…"

Slowly, Myrtle began to drift away. "I'll be waiting in my bathroom… but I won't wait forever."


	16. Assault on Hogwarts

**Chapter 16 – Assault on Hogwarts**

The gloomy study was deathly quiet save for the soft crackle of the fire burning in an old stone fireplace and the occasional scrape of quill against parchment. Voldemort sat in a comfortable high backed leather chair in front of a large mahogany desk that was practically overflowing with papers that were filled with some of the most complicated Arithmancy equations that had ever been created.

Tom Riddle was a truly brilliant, albeit somewhat misguided student of magic. Even the great Albus Dumbledore himself would freely admit that Riddle had been one of the smartest and most gifted wizards to ever walk the hollowed halls of Hogwarts.

Finishing a final equation, Voldemort laid down his quill and studied the parchment he held intently.

"Seven…" he whispered to himself as he surveyed the results of several weeks worth of work. "No more than seven."

Lying the parchment down on his desk, Voldemort sat back in his chair and stared blankly into the flickering flames of the fire as he contemplated the disturbing though expected results. A soul could be split into no more than seven pieces.

He had already worked this out once before and put the theory into practice before his fall at Godric's Hollow that night so long ago. The problem he now faced was that he had been reduced before he'd had a chance to perform a ritual of his own design that would have magnified his power by seven times. And now, thanks to Lucius, one of the pieces had been destroyed and no matter how hard he tried to manipulate the Arithmancy, he could create no more Horcruxes and the ritual would no longer work in any form.

Eventually his thoughts were interrupted by a loud knock at his study's door. With a wave of his wand, the writing on all of the parchments littering his desk became blurry and unreadable.

"Come."

The door opened with a soft creak and his most trusted servant entered the room.

"My Lord," Bellatrix said as she approached the desk and gave a small bow of her head.

"Bella, what news do you bring me?"

"The raids continue as you have commanded. We are loosing many new recruits to Potter and his… associates," she growled practically spitting out the boy's name.

Voldemort listened to her report dispassionately and waited for her to continue.

A half crazed glint appeared in Bella's eyes as she went on. "My Lord, I wish to lead the raids myself. It has been a long time since I have drawn blood."

An evil grin made its way into the Dark Lord's face. "I believe you killed a new recruit for questioning you only three days ago. From what I heard it took him quite some time to die."

"My Lord," Bella began but was quickly cut off.

"No Bella. I wish you to continue using our newest and weakest recruits as you have been. The raids are to slowly decrease in number and size over the next few weeks. I want Potter and his friends to think they are weakening us, thinning our ranks. My army is almost ready and when it is I will show the wizarding world why I am to be feared and I will deal with Potter once and for all."

"Yes my Lord," she said with a bow. "I will do as you command."

With a simple nod, Voldemort dismissed Bellatrix and watched as the angry witch left his office. He knew he wouldn't be able to rein her in much longer but hopefully he wouldn't need too.

Though he was sure his plan was sound, it was times like this he wished he still had the services of his generals who had all been killed either during or shortly after the last war. He may be brilliant and powerful when it came to magic and magical theory but he wasn't a military tactician and knew far less than needed about running a war. Still even with his losses to Potter, his Death Eater's were nearly two hundred strong and when they finally struck, they would be proceeded by an army of Inferi.

The thought of his animated soldiers brought him back around to his most important project and with another wave of his wand his notes and calculation's all became visible again. Pushing aside a few of the papers, Voldemort withdrew a thick leather bound journal from underneath the pile and began flipping though its many Arithmancy and note filled pages.

As he scanned through the text he came across the entries detailing the first Horcrux he made and laughed cruelly at the memory. Myrtle. The dumpy, pimply faced girl whom nobody seemed to like. Her death had allowed him to set out on the road in his quest for immortality and though he had been a bit clumsy about it and made a few mistakes along the way, he had eventually managed to make the first of his six Horcruxes at her expense.

Continuing on, he eventually found the passages he was looking for and spent a long while reading and re-reading them carefully before pulling out some blank parchments and beginning his calculations anew.

For reasons unknown to him he had been feeling… thinner over the last couple months, as if he was now less than he once was. He suspected it was something to do with the ritual he used to regain his body and while his magical power hadn't yet been affected, he was concerned that it was only a matter of time before it was.

There was another binding charm he could use to ensure his body would continue to endure but even though his power was nearing that of Dumbledore's, it wasn't enough. His body couldn't currently survive the rite without a massive pool of magic to sustain it.

With the loss of one of his Horcruxes along with the ability to magnify his power seven fold, he would be forced to settle for less. The journal he held had been the book he logged his initial research into splitting his soul and it contained information on another possibility. It was something he had stumbled across quite by accident and hadn't even finished the work on. He had discarded the idea quickly as it required the destruction of one of his soul fragments, but if done properly it would nearly double his current magical power.

Though he was loath to see another piece of his soul destroyed, he needed the power and knew of no other way to obtain it. Settling in for a long night, Voldemort began working on the calculations he had begun in his youth, calculations that would make him by far the most powerful wizard on the planet.

* * *

"Whatcha ya reading Harry?" Tonks asked as she plopped down on the couch next to her lover. 

Harry smiled back warmly and gave her a quick peck on the lips before handing her the note he had just received.

_Hey,_

_Bad news, I can't find anyway to track Ginny's mail here at Hogwarts. The wards are very comprehensive and anything I add no matter how small will be detected and Dumbledore will know. On top of all that because of my teaching duties I can't keep much of an eye on her. The copy of the Marauder's map you made for me has been a big help, but I can't watch it every second. I'm working on adding some charms to it to let me know if she leaves the castle but this thing's incredibly complex and it will take some time._

_The only thing I've come up with so far would be to bring Dumbledore in on this so we could have him set the wards for us. I'm sure this idea doesn't thrill you but I don't know what else to do. Right now someone could send her a dragon and I wouldn't know unless I happened to be standing there._

_Let me know what you think,  
__-Bill_

Tonks sighed and tossed the letter on the table as Jake walked in.

"Sup guys?"

"Just got a letter from Bill," Harry replied. "He can't find a way to track Ginny's mail. The only thing he's come up with is to let Dumbledore know so he can track it."

Jake nodded. "What do you think about that idea?"

"I don't know," Harry began. "I guess I don't really want him to know. He might help, but I'd be afraid he'd try to take advantage of the situation and I don't want Ginny to end up being one of his spies."

Tonks nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I don't think we should say anything, at least not yet. Let's give Bill a chance to figure something else out first."

Jake seemed to be in agreement as well. "Fair enough, why don't you write him back, Harry. We've got enough to worry about trying to figure out what to do about the Hogwarts Death Eaters right now."

* * *

A small redhead made her way past the many shops selling their magical wares and through the crowd of witches and wizards that were out and about for a day of shopping in Diagon Alley. She kept to herself, avoiding the few people she knew as she passed. With Hogwarts in session, Ginny wasn't supposed to be here and besides, she had more important things to do this day. 

Rounding a bend in the road, she finally spotted her goal. A few shops away there was a store front unlike any other in the alley. It was colored with an amazing array of bold and garish tones some of which blinked and changed in a dizzying assortment of patterns. A large sign above the front door read 'Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes'.

At each end of the sign was an image of a wizard with red hair dressed in brightly colored robes. The figures were animated and were launching curses at each other and hiding behind the name of the store to keep from being hit themselves. Periodically one would manage to land a curse turning the other into a large canary, blast ended skrewt or any number of other odd shapes and forms for a few seconds before returning to their normal form to continue the duel. It was very amusing.

She smiled briefly at the decorations on the building as she approached and entered the store.

"Ginny!" George said as he saw his younger sibling enter. "What are you doing out of school?"

Grinning widely she walked up and gave George a large hug. "Hey George, I snuck out to see you. Could I speak with you and Fred for a couple minutes, in private?"

George looked back proudly at his little sister for a minute before nodding with a smile and turning towards the counter.

"Oi, Tessa!"

A young brunet looked up from where she was helping a customer at the sound of George's voice.

"Me and Fred need to talk to Ginny for a bit, keep an eye on the store will you?"

With a quick nod, Tessa returned to her customer and George led the way to the back room where they found Fred stirring a large cauldron full of a suspicious looking green substance.

"Hey brother mine, look who's ditching school and stopped by to bless us with her presence."

Fred looked up and grinned brightly as he saw his only sister standing next to his twin. "Hey Gin Gin!"

She rolled her eyes at the use of the nick name but still managed to smile back. "Hi Fred. What are you working on?" she asked as she peeked into the cauldron, though she was careful to keep her distance.

"Oh, nothing much, want some?" he replied offering up a ladle full of the slimy mixture.

"Umm, no, I don't think so," she wisely replied.

Fred shrugged his shoulders and passed the ladle to George.

"Cheers!" he said happily as he downed the concoction. Nothing happened for a short time until finally there was a soft pop and the sound of the ladle hitting the floor. She looked around alarmed at George's disappearance for a short while before she heard a croaking sound and shifted her gaze to the floor where he had been standing to find a pink frog sitting next to the dropped ladle.

Fred drew his wand and knelt down next to the frog examining it closely with a frown on his face. After a few minutes he waved his wand and with another soft pop, George changed back into himself though his skin still had a slightly pink tint to it. With a couple more spells from Fred, he was eventually returned to normal.

"That was brilliant," she said.

"Not really," Fred replied. "The change took too long and he was supposed to have yellow polka dots on him."

"Oh well, we'll get it eventually," George added. "Anyway, what was it you wanted to talk to us about Gin?"

She reached into her robes and pulled out three brown feathers. She then handed one to each of her brothers keeping the last for herself. She smiled as they held the feathers looking at her curiously. Removing her wand she then tapped her feather with its tip activating the three portkeys. A look of surprise appeared on the twins faces as they felt a hook behind their navels and disappeared.

* * *

The three reappeared in a small clearing of a wooded area. The twins started to go for their wands but froze as they found Ginny with her wand pointed at them along with two other figures in black cloaks wearing bone white masks to hide their features. 

"What the hell's going on Ginny?" George said, all of his normal joviality completely missing.

"I'll ask the questions," she growled. Before the conversation could go any further, Ginny's face began to bubble and shift finally changing to the pale face of Draco Malfoy. "Where's Harry Potter?"

"What? How the hell should we know?"

"Tell me what you know about Potter!" Malfoy demanded.

Fred was scared half to death but would never turn on Harry no matter what. "Well, he has messy black hair and incredible green eyes…"

Malfoy seemed enraged and his wand tip started to glow. "Enough. Tell me who he's with and what he's up too, or die."

The twins shared a quick look before turning towards the three and raising their middle fingers in unison.

Much to their surprise Malfoy and the other two started laughing. The twin's eyes opened wide as Draco's form began to shift again until they found themselves looking at Tonks. Beside her the other wizards had removed their masks to reveal Harry and Jake.

"Bugger me!" George said patting his heart.

"Merlin's balls you scared the crap out of us Tonks!"

"Sorry boys, but we needed to know where you stood in all this mess," Tonks said referring to the position she, Harry and Jake found them selves in.

"Well next time just slip us some veritaserum or something!"

Harry finally stopped laughing and after holstering his wand approached the pair. "Sorry guys, thanks for standing by me though."

The twins each shook Harry's extended hand and gave him a pat on the back. "No worry's mate. You should've already known we'd be with you though."

"Your right of course, thanks."

"Hey Jake!" George said turning to the last of the three.

"Hey guys."

"When did you start carrying a wand mate?" Fred asked.

Jake smirked as he looked at the wand he was holding before waving it towards the twins. The pair broke into laughter as there was a loud squawk and the wand changed into a rubber chicken. "I didn't."

"Glad to see our products are being used to cause plenty of mayhem!" George said wearing a large smile on his face as he realized Jake had been using one of his own products on him.

After another round of laughter, Fred turned to Harry. "So what's up? Why'd you bring us here?"

Harry sighed knowing it was time to get down to business. "We captured a couple Death eaters awhile back and one of them turned out to be in charge of infiltrating Hogwarts."

The twins were looking grim at his offered news.

"We found out there are marked Death Eaters in the student body."

"So what do you need us for?"

"I need your help with figuring out how to get them out of the way. With the staff and Dumbledore there, we can't exactly just storm the building and take them. We also can't use our normal methods, as they're all kids I don't think killing them would do much for our image. Any ideas?"

Fred and George looked at each other in silent conversation for several minutes before grinning wickedly and turning back towards Harry. "Well, you could try to take them one at a time but after you caught a couple the others would probably catch on and run away, so it would be best to take them all at once, right?"

Harry nodded wondering what they were thinking. "Yeah, we thought of going in at night, but they're not all in the same house so it would take too much time, we'd definitely get caught."

The twins nodded. "That means you need to catch all the houses in the same place at the same time leaving either a Quidditch match, where everyone would be assembled including the professors, or the great hall during mealtime where once again everyone is assembled including the professors."

Harry nodded hoping they had a trick up their sleeves.

"Excellent!" George began, "The Great Hall it is!"

Fred smiled at the wary faces that greeted George's proclamation. "My esteemed brother and I had a very special prank planned for the entire population of Hogwarts but since we didn't go back this year we never got a chance to pull it off."

"Can't tell you how upset mum was we were opening a joke shop instead of finishing up at Hogwarts," George added with a shake of his head as if to indicate he was disappointed with himself and his brother.

"Yup," Fred said continuing their stream of consciousness, "you better pray she doesn't find out you gave us our startup money, partner."

Harry shuddered at the thought.

"Anyway, I think with a few modifications it could work out nicely for you."

"A prank?" Harry asked with a small smile forming on his face. "You had a prank planned that will help us with this?"

"Well yes, but not exactly, like I said though, with a few changes I think it could work. There is one small catch though."

Harry looked at the twins suspiciously.

"We want to be there!" the red heads said in unison with large grins on their faces.

"I'm not so sure that would be a good idea guys. You know they'd realize you were in on it, and I'm sure Dumbledore would haul you both up to his office afterwards to find out everything you know."

"First of all, if we're there Dumbledore and the rest won't be surprised when stuff starts to happen," Fred said.

"Right," George added, "which means he'll just sit back and watch when everything starts. I doubt he'll have a clue what's going on until you three show up and by then it'll be too late."

"We're not worried about getting hauled to his office either," Fred said.

"Yeah, except for maybe the Marauders and you we've spent more time there explaining ourselves to him than anyone else!" George added looking very proud of the fact.

"I still don't know guys. I know you wouldn't ever give us up on purpose, but if Dumbledore or Snape wants to know badly enough, which they will, they'll just use Legilimency on you."

The twins shared an almost evil smile at Harry's concerns.

"I hope it's Snape that tries it!" Fred said excitedly to his brother.

The five sat on chairs Tonks conjured talking for a long time about the situation and what was going to happen. Much of the time was spent laughing as they worked out the details of the prank.

* * *

Three figures wearing dark blue cloaks appeared on the outskirts of Hogsmeade and stood for several long minutes surveying the amazing sight that was the castle Hogwarts. After a couple of minutes a familiar white owl flew down and landed on one of the figures shoulders. 

"Hey girl," Harry said gently petting his owl. "You ready to do this?"

Hedwig hooted in response and held out a leg.

Tonks stepped forward and carefully placed a small tube in her outstretched talons. She then cast a glamour spell on the owl changing her white feathers to a more common brown. After giving Hedwig a small scratch on her head, Tonks stepped back and watched as she took off, flying to the branch of a nearby tree to wait for the right time to deliver her package.

Harry, Tonks and Jake raised their hoods and made their way through the small village to Honeydukes Sweetshop. Stepping into the alleyway on one side of the store, Tonks and Jake donned Harry's invisibility cloak. Unfortunately it was too small to cover all three of them and they decided Harry would be the one to go without since he was the most familiar with using the secret passage.

They waited several minutes until a small group of witches entered the shop and followed them in. Harry kept a close eye out for the owner and waited until he was busy with a customer before sneaking down to the basement with his invisible friends following close behind. Once they were alone, Tonks and Jake appeared from beneath the cloak.

"It's over here." Harry whispered indicating a spot on the floor.

Tonks stepped forward and cast several detection spells on the trap door. "I can't find any protection or notification spells on it, we should be ok."

Harry nodded and opened the door revealing a set of stairs leading downward. Hearing some noise at the top of the stairs, the three hurried down into the passage and closed the trap door just in time to hear footsteps crossing the floor above them where they had just been standing. They stood perfectly still and quiet, holding their breath until they heard the footsteps recede. Letting out a sigh of relief at not being caught, the three turned to continue down the stairway.

Tonks led the group casting detection spells as she went checking for any wards or perimeter alarms that might have been set on the tunnel by the Headmaster. They were extremely surprised when they reached the statue of the humpbacked witch without encountering any.

"I solemnly swear I'm up to no good." Harry said after pulling out his Marauders map of Hogwarts. Quickly scanning the parchment he found there was no one around and tapped the statue with his wand. "Dissendium."

A small opening appeared which the group quickly climbed through before closing the statue behind them.

"Hey," Jake said as he looked warily around the hall, "you guys feel that?"

It was hard to feel it with all the magic in Hogwarts serving to hide it, but Harry and Tonks were both able to identify it and couldn't help but shiver as they realized he was correct.

"It's here somewhere, isn't it?" Harry said as he too found himself looking around though he knew it was still very far away.

"Well, Dumbledore's notes did mention that Riddle tried to get a job here. Maybe he was trying to get his hands on his Horcrux."

Jake nodded. "Would make sense but we'll have to deal with it later."

Returning their attention to the map, the three were happy to see everyone was in the great hall for the evening meal. Keeping a watchful eye on the parchment, they quickly made their way to the Owlery where Jake placed a small silver sphere in the middle of the floor. Stepping forward, Harry then tapped it with his wand.

Still watching the map for anyone who might wander by the three them made there way towards the Great Hall. Reaching their destination, the group took up a position just outside the doors. They didn't have to wait long before they heard a commotion within the hall. Removing several vials of potion from the small wooden potions store he carried, Jake handed one to Harry and another to Tonks before downing one himself.

As the potions effects took hold they felt as if ice water was flowing through their veins. They all shivered violently for half a minute until the feeling passed. It had been extremely uncomfortable but was worth it to keep from falling under the effects of the 'prank'.

Sharing a final grin with each other they raised their hoods and stepped up to the large doors leading into the Great Hall.

* * *

A few minutes after Harry's group left the Owlery, the sphere they had left on the floor slowly rose until it was hovering several meters off the ground. It began to hum, softly at first, but quickly rose in volume and pitch before the globe exploded in a brilliant burst of multicolored light. 

As the light faded away, the owls blinked several times before looking around in confusion. A moment later they all flew up and out of the tower.

* * *

Hedwig waited patiently on her perch just outside the Hogwarts grounds until she saw a burst of light coming from a small tower tucked in amongst the many spires of Hogwarts. 

Taking flight, she was just in time to meet up with the flock of owls that left their perches destined for the Great Hall.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore sat in his chair at the head of the teachers table in the Great Hall quietly eating his dinner. It had been a typical day at Hogwarts and as he ate he observed the students in his care going about their daily dinner rituals. 

The murmur of conversation filled the hall along with the occasional bout of laughter. Normally it filled his heart with happiness to eat with his students but as had happened all too often lately, his mind wandered to a missing student. A boy he had come to care for greatly but who had disappointed him by following a path he did not approve of.

As he sat contemplating how Harry had turned down the road he had, he was surprised to see owls start flying in through the many windows of the great hall. It looked as if the post was arriving, but there was no dinner post and none of the owls was carrying anything.

He couldn't help but smile as the owls started dive bombing the various house tables helping themselves to bits of the student's dinners. The Weasley twins had come to Hogwarts to join their younger brother and sister for dinner and it was now clear that they had setup some sort of elaborate prank and he was looking forward to seeing where it would lead.

With all the chaos being caused by the swarm of owls, Hedwig went unnoticed as she flew in the window just behind the large group. Staying above the rafters of the room inside the illusion that was currently portraying the evening sky above the school, Hedwig squeezed the tube she was carrying tightly causing the potion within to begin leaking out. As the potion left its canister, it turned into a mist which seemed to hang in the image of the night sky. Flying back and forth across the hall she saturated the entire illusion finally leaving when there was no potion left.

As Hedwig flew out the window, a crack of thunder echoed from the rafters of the Great Hall causing a hushed silence to spread among the students and staff. Upon hearing the loud boom, all of the owls flew up and out of the hall leaving everyone to wonder what was going on. They were all surprised when a moment later it began to rain large pink drops of liquid from the ceiling.

The rain shower was intense but short, lasting no more than a few seconds. It was, however, enough to insure everyone was damp. Groans escaped everyone's lips as they all realized they had turned bright pink. McGonagall was glaring at the twins with a look that said the perpetrators were going to be punished severely for doing this to her and Snape looked as if he was ready to kill the Weasley twins who were no doubt responsible. Flitwick seemed to find the entire thing humorous as did several of the other teachers.

Dumbledore was smiling widely and his eyes were twinkling merrily until he realized he was unable to move. It was at this moment when the doors to the Great Hall were thrown open with a loud bang to reveal three figures wearing dark blue robes with the hoods up. Realizing this was much more than a simple prank he began working furiously to release himself from whatever magic was restraining him.

Harry and Tonks ran forward stopping just short of the teachers table. They knew it wouldn't take the teachers and particularly Dumbledore long to break through the spell and they had to act quickly.

Turning to face each other they drew their wands and pointed them so that there tips were touching. They began a chant they had been practicing causing a light to form where their wands touched. Backing away from each other slowly, the light spread, growing to fill the space between their wands.

They continued to chant as they backed away from each other until they both reached the walls of the hall. Pulling the light with the tips of their wands, they connected it to the wall before returning to their starting point continuing to chant and keeping the tips of there wands in contact with the glowing shield the entire time.

As their wands came into contact with each other again there was a bright flash as the ward was set. Dropping their wands and their chanting the pair quickly joined Jake in his task of rounding up the student Death Eaters.

* * *

Dumbledore drew his power to him as quickly as he could while he worked through the magic that bound him in place. He watched closely as one of the figures began sorting through the students occasionally picking one up and carrying them across the hall to an area of empty wall space on one side of the room. 

His worry increased as he watched the other two begin a spell just in front of the teachers table. As he continued to watch the pair he realized it was more than just a spell, they were casting a ward, specifically a physical and magical barrier separating the teachers from the students and themselves. His only solace came from the fact that he was fairly positive he knew who the three of them were. He was still concerned, however, due to the specific students that were being separated from the student population.

A brief feeling of relief swept through him as he worked his way out of the spell that had been holding him in place, but it was short lived as he saw the ward flair to life full force. Turning to find an alternate route into the main part of the hall he was dismayed to find the ward extended all the way around the platform the teachers table was sitting on. Leaving the teachers to work out of the spell on their own, he approached the ward to begin dismantling it.

* * *

Working together Harry, Tonks and Jake quickly collected all of the known Death Eaters. 

"Let's see, Malfoy, Crabb, Goyle, Parkinson, Nott, Avery, Zabini, Bradley, Branstone, Chaston and Earl. That's all of them." Harry said to his companions.

Tonks cast a summoning charm and fifteen wands zoomed into her hand. "Shame, shame," she said, "some of you had more than one wand."

The look of fear in each of their eyes changed to anger briefly as the metamorphmagus snapped all their wands before discarding the pieces. She then summoned all of the magical items each of them had on their person and banished them away.

Rolling them onto their stomachs, Harry and Tonks began casting permanent sticking charms on their backs. As they finished each one, Jake picked them up and placed them on the wall so that their feet were left dangling several inches above the floor.

Once they were all in position, Harry muttered a final spell over them setting the permanent sticking charm and creating a password for it. The group then took great pleasure in removing the left sleeve from each of their robes and shirts revealing the hideous dark mark each of them had branded onto their forearms. Several gasps could be heard echoing around the Great Hall at the revelation.

As they stepped back to admire their handiwork, a loud crash echoed through the hall. Spinning around, they found Dumbledore had managed to break through their ward and had closed the doors to the great hall sealing them in. With another wave of his wand their hoods fell back revealing their faces which caused another round of gasps. Behind the Headmaster it was clear several of the other professors were close to breaking through the charms that held them frozen in place.

"Harry, Nymphadora, Jake," Dumbledore said calmly in greeting.

"Headmaster," Harry answered just as calmly. He was comforted by the presence of Tonks and Jake on either side of him and placed his wand in its holster before returning his attention to Dumbledore. Beside him Tonks did the same and Jake put away the knife he had pulled.

Dumbledore was relieved to see them put their wands away and though he lowered his he kept a firm hold on it. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Oh, nothing much, just thought we'd stop by and take care of your little Death Eater problem for you," Harry replied with a casual gesture to the students who were now stuck to the wall behind him.

"I see, and what of the rest of the students?"

"Don't worry, it's just a modified freezing charm, the spell will wear off in a little while. We didn't want anyone to get in the way and possibly get injured now did we?"

Dumbledore nodded. "Very good Harry, however, I must insist you stop this now and release the students you have stuck to the wall."

"No," was Harry's simple reply.

"Harry, I assure you I will do everything in my power to make sure justice is served. If they have done anything wrong they will be punished."

Harry let out a low chuckle. "I don't think so Headmaster. We both know they," he said once again gesturing to the Death Eaters hanging on the wall, "and most especially that little oinker Malfoy will claim they were being controlled by the imperious curse or a potion or some other load of crap. The Minister will let them all go with an apology or on the off chance that they are imprisoned, Voldemort will eventually free them to fight for him again. You should be happy we just did this instead of what we've done to the others."

Dumbledore let out an audible sigh. "Then I'm sorry to say that as a member of the Wizengamot, I have no choice but to take the three of you into custody."

Another laugh escaped Harry's throat as he pushed up his left sleeve to reveal a blue and white phoenix tattoo. Dumbledore froze as he recognized the mark. 'No, it couldn't be,' he thought.

Watching in fascination as Harry pressed his finger to the tattoo, a small smile appeared on his face. The instant his finger touched the image of the phoenix on his arm, there were three bursts of flame in the Great Hall, one each directly above the heads of Harry, Tonks and Jake. Reaching up they took hold of the offered tail feathers disappearing in another burst of flame a moment later.

Dumbledore couldn't help but chuckle softly as he began helping the students escape from the spell they were all under. He knew the mark of the Phoenix very well. Perhaps there was hope for Harry and his friends after all.

Freeing the last of the Gryffindors from their imprisonment, Dumbledore leaned down between the Weasley twins who were grinning widely.

"I would very much like to have a chat with you both in my office at the conclusion of this evening's meal."

"Sure Professor."

"Wouldn't miss it."

Giving the two another grin, Dumbledore went to see what he could do about the students who had been left hanging on the wall.

Returning to their meals, Fred and George were not the least bit surprised to find Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Neville staring at them.

"What?" they said in unison.

"What do you mean 'what'? What do you think?" Ron said.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Honestly! Harry! You two have been talking to Harry!"

Fred cringed as he realized everyone at the Gryffindor table was now intently watching and listening to them having heard the Headmaster's comments as well as what Hermione said.

Pinning her with his eyes he looked left and right making it clear that with so many people around, now was not the time. "I don't have a clue what you're talking about Hermione."

Hermione understood and immediately calmed down as did Ginny and Neville who had caught the looks. Ron, however, remained completely oblivious.

"Oh, come on. You don't expect us to believe that load of rubbish do you?"

"Ron, they don't know anything," Hermione interjected. Ron was about to make another comment but the only word that left his mouth was "Ouch!" as he received a kick in the shin and a piercing look from Hermione. Finally taking the hint he returned to his meal a little bit grumpier than he had been before. It wasn't long, however, before he was smiling again as he watched Dumbledore and Snape's fruitless attempts to remove Draco Malfoy and the other Death Eaters from the wall.

* * *

Fred and George in their usual whirlwind of good spirits made their way through the halls of Hogwarts towards the Headmaster's office along with several of the other staff members. As they went along, Fred gave George a small push in the shoulder and said "Tag." 

George shared a mental grin with his brother and pushed him back. "Tag back."

"You're it." Fred said tagging him back almost instantly.

"No you're it." George then responded after another tap to his brother's shoulder.

"Back at you."

"Not anymore."

"You're it again."

"No you."

The pair continued their game laughing harder and harder as they continued to play. It wasn't the game they were laughing about though it was the growing agitation of their former Potions Professor who was following along behind the group.

"Stop it! Both of you!" Snape finally yelled finding himself unable to control his temper any longer.

Both of the Weasley twins did their best to look contrite.

"Sorry Professor."

"Yeah… sorry."

Fred and George both turned forward and continued to walk solemnly toward Dumbledore's office. It was almost a full minute before Fred turned towards his brother.

"Tag, you're it."

* * *

Dumbledore took a seat at his desk as the heads of house and the Weasley twins filed into the room behind him and began taking the various chairs the Headmaster had conjured for them all to sit in as he crossed the office. He couldn't help but smile and mentally shake his head at the grins the twins were wearing and the look of cold fury on Severus face. 

Silence quickly descended on the group as everyone took a seat and began looking to the Headmaster to begin the conversation.

"I must say it is most enjoyable having you both back at the castle again Messer's Weasley," Albus began, smiling widely at the twins seated before him. "I would be very interested in hearing the story behind this all."

Fred and George just smiled back innocently. "I'm not sure what you mean professor."

"Why don't we start with how long you have been in touch with Harry," Dumbledore asked still smiling. He had always had a special fondness for these two.

George brought his hand up to his chin and tapped it thoughtfully for a minute. "I believe… yes, it's been just over five years."

Dumbledore looked amused and was about to rephrase his question when Severus took several quick steps forward from where he had been leaning against the fireplace, drawing his wand as he did so.

"This is ridicules. Legilimens!" Snape roared as he pointed his wand at George's face.

Dumbledore sighed and shook his head having a pretty good idea of what was coming. The twins, far from being worried about the intrusion, looked rather gleeful about the whole thing.

As the spell hit, George seemed to wince slightly but didn't drop his gaze from the Potion Master's eyes. Fred was grinning widely and staring off into space, seemingly not paying attention to anything going on around him.

Severus did his best to force George's recent memories of Harry to the surface, pouring more and more of his power into the spell. He was extremely surprised when instead of images of Harry and his friends, only an image of the grinning twins appeared in front of him.

'Hello Sevvie Poo!' Severus heard one of them say in his mind.

'You know, it really isn't polite to be rummaging through peoples heads without their permission,' the other scolded as if speaking to a small child.

'Nope, not nice at all.'

Realizing he had made a mistake, Severus attempted to pull back and end the spell only to find he was trapped. As he gave up his fruitless attempts at leaving, he looked back at the twins to find them grinning like maniacs. He felt a smidgen of fear as one of the images floated towards him with its arm outstretched. His fear immediately changed back to anger as the twin spoke.

'Tag, you're it!'

After a few moments the other twin spoke up. 'I don't think he understands how to play.'

'Yes, sad really,' he replied before turning back to Severus. 'You're it, which means it's your turn to try to tag one of us.'

An angry scowl was the only response.

'Hmm brother mine, it seems our friend here is speechless.'

'Yes, perhaps it is a bit difficult to play tag when you're not allowed to speak.'

'Definitely, I suppose we could allow him to talk.'

'But I'm not sure he really wants to play anyway.'

'Right, and I'm not sure I want to hear anything the greasy git has to say.'

'Me either, perhaps we should play another game before we let him go.'

'You think?'

'Oh yes, definitely. You?'

'Absolutely.'

Turning back towards the image of their ex-professor, Fred and George both raised their hands and the last thing Severus saw was a bright light before he reappeared in the Headmaster's office with a blinding headache. It took him a few moments to push it aside enough to bring his surroundings back into focus. He was dismayed to find everyone in the office looking at him and snickering almost uncontrollably.

"Oh dear brother mine," George began.

"Yes my good looking twin, most disappointing," Fred continued with a sad shake of his head.

"To think this gentleman used to be someone we looked up to."

"He was?"

"No, not really, but still…"

"Yes, you'd think a man of his tenure would have at least a little control over himself."

"Yes, quite sad really," George finished with a disappointed shake of his head.

Seeing everyone laughing at him and feeling an odd warm sensation, Severus looked down to find a large wet spot on the front of his trousers. With anger coursing through every inch of his being, Severus growled and raised his wand towards the twins.

"Severus!" the Headmaster intoned firmly.

Severus head spun towards Professor Dumbledore. "Headmaster, I demand these two be punished for what they have done!"

Dumbledore sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose before returning his attention to the angry Potions Master.

"I don't think that will be possible Severus. I believe if you review the code you agreed to upon becoming a Legilimens, you will find that they were well within their rights to do everything they did to you having been the recipients of your unprovoked attack. In fact, I believe they showed incredible restraint, they could have taken it much further and can still press charges if they wish to do so though I do hope they will choose not to." The Headmaster's gaze shifted from Severus to the twins as he finished and gave them a questioning look.

"Hmm, I don't know what to do," Fred said.

"I suppose we could drop the matter…" George began before he was cut off by his brother.

"If he apologized to George," Fred said still grinning widely. George couldn't help himself and let out a little snort at his brothers demand.

Severus looked about ready to explode but knew he had no choice. It took all of his years of experience in Occlumency to push aside his anger enough to look back at the grinning twins.

"I'm sorry," he managed to grind out in a very unconvincing manner.

"Apology accepted," George replied happily having been the one attacked.

Fred nodded in agreement. "You really should clean yourself up old boy."

Severus growled and waved his wand over his pants. As the stain disappeared, he put away his wand and crossed his arms with an angry scowl on his face.

"Now, if we could get back to the matter at hand," Dumbledore began. "I would very much like to hear about your recent meetings with Mr. Potter."

"Sorry Professor, I really have no idea what you're talking about," George said with finality.

"Nope, not a clue. My brother and I run a respectable shop and really don't have time to indulge in dealings with such dubious characters."

"Respectable?" George asked his brother who simply smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

Pulling a small paper bag out of his pocket, Fred opened it and held it towards the Headmaster. "Lemon drop?"

With his eyes twinkling brightly, the Headmaster politely declined the offered sweet.

* * *

After some idle chit chat, Dumbledore let the twins leave realizing they were not about to let anything concerning Harry slip. The pair was half way down the revolving staircase when they both stopped. 

"You know our dear relatives and their friends are probably waiting to corner us somewhere below."

"Ahh, way ahead of you dear brother." Reaching into his robes, Fred removed two small sweets, one green and one purple.

"I call green," George quickly said.

"No way, you always get green."

"Untrue brother mine, quite untrue."

"We seem to be at something of an impasse."

"Rock, paper scissors?" George asked.

"An inspired idea."

"1… 2… 3!" the pair said together waving their fists towards each other with each number.

"Hmm, both rocks."

"Again?"

"1… 2… 3!"

"Again?" Fred asked when they both selected rock for the second time.

"1… 2… 3!"

"This could take awhile."

"True, true…" Fred said deep in thought. "I've got it!"

"You do?"

"Yes, quite, again?"

"1… 2… 3!"

"Err, what's that?" George asked as he looked at Fred's hand. He was holding it palm down with his fingers dangling loosely below.

"That's Snape's greasy locks."

"Well, I guess you win then."

"Yes, I believe I do. But you were a very challenging competitor so I will concede the green to you."

"You're a prince among men," George said as he accepted the green sweet. "Damn good looking too."

As one the pair held up their respective sweets. "Cheers!" they said happily before popping them in their mouths. After a few seconds of chewing there was a pair of loud pops as Fred changed into a smaller version of Dumbledore who's eyes were literally glowing blue and George became Snape though his skin was paler than usual and his hair continually dripped grease which left a trail behind him as they began making their way down the stairs.

As they exited the stairwell, they were not surprised to find two Weasley's, a Granger and a Longbottom waiting for them. They almost laughed out loud at the confused looks on the groups face as they started walking past.

"Students," Fred said making his eyes glow even brighter.

"One million points from Griffindork!" George said with a scowl.

"Now Sev," Fred began as they continued walking past.

"But they looked at me," George complained in a whiny voice.

As the pair disappeared around a corner the teens all gave each other confused looks. The only exception was Hermione who was looking thoughtful.

"Hermione?" Ron asked as she began following the trail of grease down the corridor.

"That was the twins," she said simply as she picked up her pace, jogging after them.

They followed the trail all the way out the front doors of Hogwarts to find it ended at the top of the front steps.

"Honestly," Hermione said in frustration.

"Why did they skip out on us?" Neville asked.

Hermione let out a huff. "Isn't it obvious?"

Seeing everyone's confused looks she rolled her eyes. "They obviously didn't want to talk to us about Harry!"

"They could have just told us that," Ron whined.

Turning around they headed back inside. As the castle doors closed, Fred and George let out sighs of relief from their hiding place in some nearby bushes. After waiting for a couple more minutes the pair began the long walk to Hogsmeade.

They walked in silence for several minutes before George reached out and touched his brother's shoulder. "Tag."


End file.
